Bushfires threatening forests in northern Laos
Thousands of hectares of forests in the north of Laos have been destroyed by bushfires, the blazes are yet to be brought under control.
According to local authorities, bushfires have been reported in northern Lao province of Oudomxay, Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang and Phongsaly provinces, which bordering China, Myanmar and Vietnam.
In Oudomxay province, some 400 km north of Lao capital Vientiane, the bushfires have destroyed more than 18,000 hectares of forests in the Phouhiphi Protected Area and other protected forests since mid-March, according to the province’s Agriculture and Forestry Office.
Local authorities and residents in Oudomxay and neighboring provinces have teamed up to fight the forest fires but the blazes are yet to be brought under control. Lao authorities are facing difficulties in accessing some areas in the mountains, and most of the areas are very dry.
Huaxia
