A wildfire that engulfed part of a forest in Shantou City of south China's Guangdong Province on Sunday has been extinguished after 17 hours of concerted efforts by multiple departments including emergency response, firefighting and public security units.
Villagers living at the foot of Xianglu Mountain were the first to notice the fire erupting on its slopes.
"It looked far away and I thought it was just someone burning garbage," recalled one villager.
Upon discovering the fire, local authorities immediately organized personnel to combat the flames, with mobilization of over 200 rescuers from surrounding areas to assist in the firefighting efforts.
"We were divided into two to three groups, with one conducting regular firefighting and another using water pumps to extinguish the fire," said one rescuer.
Given the rapid spread of the fire, local officials also called in aerial support with helicopters to aid in extinguishing the blaze. Furthermore, many personnel organized by local grassroots departments were actively involved in the firefighting efforts.
By 06:00 on Monday, the wildfire was finally extinguished without causing any casualties. The dry climate in winter increases the risk of forest fire in the region. However, the cause of the forest fire is still under investigation.
Wildfire extinguished in south China's Guangdong after 17 hours of efforts
The death toll from a crane collapse that derailed a passenger train in northeastern Thailand's Nakhon Ratchasima Province has risen to 32, with the number of injured now standing at 67, authorities said on Wednesday.
The accident occurred on Wednesday morning when the construction crane used for a high-speed rail bridge collapsed onto the train traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani Province.
Speaking at a press briefing, Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum said the State Railway of Thailand expects to take approximately seven days to clear the wreckage and restore the track to normal operation while a full investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn earlier told reporters that he has instructed agencies to conduct a transparent, comprehensive investigation to determine the cause and prevent recurrence.
According to Thai media reports, the main contractor for the involved railway section is Italian-Thai Development PLC, which has issued a statement on the accident, saying that the company will fully assume responsibilities related to compensation and medical treatment.
Songrit Yoonsoongnern, a rescuer, said that rescue teams are waiting for some parts of the wrecked train to be moved before continuing operations.
"Right now, we are waiting for the cranes to secure the carriage and the crane above, and to remove some debris that is on the bodies. For safety reasons, we must wait until Italian-Thai Development’s cranes complete the operation and safety is 100-percent assured, before ordering rescue personnel to enter and recover the bodies," he said.
32 killed after crane collapse derails train in Thailand
32 killed after crane collapse derails train in Thailand
