THIRTY people have been confirmed as having died while battling a forest fire in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, authorities said yesterday.

Twenty-seven firefighters and three locals went missing Sunday afternoon after a sudden change in wind direction caused an outburst of the blaze, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Local authorities have dispatched 689 people to put out the blaze which broke out at about 6 p.m. Saturday at a remote spot in the mountains at an altitude of over 3,800 meters.

Firefighters are still trying to contain the blaze.

Identification of the bodies and consolation for their families are also under way. (Xinhua)