CHENGDU, China, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- A wildfire in southwest China's Sichuan province has killed at least 22 people and injured four others, two of them critically, rescuers said.
It took firefighters about 24 hours to extinguish the blaze in a mountain valley in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
The fire broke out Sunday afternoon on a grassland plateau.
Fire engines couldn't drive into the hilly area so firefighters had to walk there carrying extinguishers, officials said.
The casualties occurred when a strong gust of wind whipped up the fire and engulfed a group of soldiers and civilians.
The fire wasn't put out until Monday afternoon.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation. UPI
