California fire: 29 dead, 228 still missing
Butte County (California) [USA], Nov 12 (ANI): As many as 29 people have died in the fast-moving wildfire which began here on November 8.
ANI
Nov 12, 2018 14:33 IST
Butte County (California) [USA], Nov 12 (ANI): As many as 29 people have died in the fast-moving wildfire which began here on November 8.
The numbers are expected to rise.
Authorities confirmed that as many as 228 people are unaccounted for in Northern California, reported The Hill.
"[There are] 228 individuals who have been determined to be unaccounted for. As of this briefing, my office has located 107 people after receiving [around] 550 calls from people looking for loved ones," said Butte County Sheriff Cory Honea at a press conference.
He further assured that the officials are in the "process of investigating those calls to determine if those individuals are in fact unaccounted for or perhaps haven't yet checked in with a family member."
The fire which is now dubbed as "Camp Fire" destroyed Northern and Southern California and displaced as many as 300,000 people.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 109,000 acres of land has burned down, since the fire first began.
The White House, late on Friday, in a statement issued emergency in California as the death toll in the fast-moving wildfire went up to nine.
United States President Donald Trump on Sunday had called for proper forest management to combat California's wildfires, days after threatening to cut off federal payments due to mismanagement.
The blaze had started on Thursday night (local time), and moved towards Malibu and the Pacific Ocean, prompting evacuations in Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and other neighbouring regions. (ANI)
Get the App
