A forest fire that occurred Sunday on a mountain in east China's Zhejiang Province killed one person and injured five others, a source with the provincial forestry bureau said Monday.
The fire burst at around 12 o'clock Sunday at Huangtu Mountain near Xingzhe Village of Yishi Town, Ninghai County. The fire burned more than 120 hectares of forest and was put out by 7:12 a.m. Monday.
A witness said that over 400 local government officials and villagers rushed to the site to put out the fire.
Pan Xiangyuan, an official with the Ninghai County Agriculture and Forestry Bureau, was burned dead on the spot, Tong Weibing and Cao Zaiji, two officials from Yishi Town, were seriously injured, and three villagers were injured slightly.
According to Local hospital, both Tong and Cao were in a critical condition.
Initial investigations show that the fire were ignited by locals who burned paper as sacrificial offerings to the dead on the Tomb-sweeping Day, which fell on Sunday.
Further investigation into the case is going on.
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2004)
