The toll from the massive wildfire spreading through California in the United States rose to 31 on Sunday after search and rescue officials found six more bodies in the debris, reports said. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said at least 200 people are still unaccounted for.
More than 3,200 firefighters have been deployed to battle the Camp Fire blaze that broke out in northern California early on November 8. On November 10, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said they will need at least three weeks to fully contain the fire.
At least 6,700 homes have been burnt in the blaze. Hot dry winds forecast for until Tuesday are expected to worsen the situation and have prompted officials to heighten the urgency of evacuation order, Reuters reported.
With the updated toll, the damage from the fire brings it on par with the Griffith Park Fire of 1933, the deadliest wildfire on record in California.
Governor Jerry Brown asked US President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster to expedite emergency relief. On November 10, Trump had accused the forest department of poor management and threatened to withdraw federal funding.
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