In a tragic turn of events, nine individuals lost their lives, and two others sustained injuries in an early morning hotel fire in Southwest China.
The fire broke out in a brick and concrete structured hotel located in the town of Chaoshing in Guizhou province. China’s Xinhua News Agency, citing local emergency management authorities, confirmed that firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze promptly.
Emergency officials detailed that out of the affected individuals, nine were fatally injured in the incident, while the other two are currently receiving medical treatment for their injuries. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Notably, large wildland fires burning around Yellowknife have prompted Canadian authorities to issue evacuation orders for the city and other nearby communities. The city, the capital of the Northwest Territories, is home to about 20,000 people.
The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured an image (top of the page) showing several fires burning near Yellowknife at about 18:50 Universal Time (12:50 p.m. local time) on August 16, 2023. The second image (below) is a more detailed view of a fire burning to the northeast.
At the time, active fire fronts appeared to be within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the city. Recently burned areas appear gray, and unburned forests are green. When the image was acquired, smoke streamed to the northeast.
