Two forest rangers have lost their lives battling a forest fire in the Tay Con Linh peak area of Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam.

A leader from the Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development confirmed the deaths of the two forest rangers on Saturday. 

The deceased victims were identified as T.V.K., a 41-year-old ranger from the forest ranger division of Ha Giang Province’s Vi Xuyen District, and T.T.L., a 41-year-old ranger from the Quang Phong-Tay Con Linh special use forest ranger division.

According to the Ha Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the two rangers lost their lives at around 2:30 pm on Friday while participating in the rescue and firefighting efforts at a 2,000-meter peak in the Tay Con Linh special-use forest, located in Lao Chai Commune, Vi Xuyen District.

The forest fire was first discovered at around 2:00 am on Friday in the area bordering the three communes of Phuong Tien, Lao Chai, and Xin Chai of Vi Xuyen District. 

Upon receiving the report on the incident, the local authorities swiftly mobilized 700 personnel and implemented firefighting plans.

They faced the challenging conditions of the dry weather, strong winds, and limited water resources in the area.

Despite that, by 5:00 pm on the same day, the forest fires in Lao Chai and Xin Chai Communes were mostly under control, with only one fire point remaining in Phuong Tien Commune, which presented complications due to high winds and abundant vegetation.

By noon on Saturday, the fire in Phuong Tien Commune had also been contained.

Tay Con Linh, situated on the mountain massif upstream of the Chay River in the west of Ha Giang Province, is a prominent mountain peak spanning across Hoang Su Phi and Vi Xuyen Districts, located 46 kilometers from Ha Giang City. 

With an altitude of 2,431 meters, it stands as the highest mountain peak in Vietnam’s northeast region.

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