Wildfire smoke and flame rising from a mountain forest outside Chongqing Photograph:( Others )
Such has been the scorching heat that as many as 66 rivers and 25 reservoirs running across the municipality have run dry. The authorities have already declared a red alert, the highest level of heat warning in the city.
Record-breaking heatwave in China has resulted in wildfires near the country's biggest city Chongqing, housing more than 32 million people. Reportedly, the mountains and the forest surrounding the city, parched due to the extreme heat are now burning amber-red.
More than four districts in the southwestern city have reported fires since last week, with 1,500 residents evacuated out of more than 540 households.
The blazed area can be seen from the tall skyscrapers of the city. Thousands of emergency responders, along with the fire-fighting helicopters have been pressed into service to contain the wildfire but so far, the efforts have not yielded significant results.
"The fires in Chongqing were the result of "spontaneous combustion" mainly caused by extremely high temperatures" a Chinese expert was quoted as saying by a state-run media outlet.
According to reports, Chongqing is witnessing its worst heatwave since 1961 when record-keeping began. For several weeks, the temperatures have hovered above 40 C, with several districts seeing temperatures as high as 45 C.
Such has been the scorching heat that as many as 66 rivers and 25 reservoirs running across the municipality have run dry. The authorities have already declared a red alert, the highest level of heat warning in the city.
The heatwave has been relentless across China
As reported by WION, it is not only Chongqing that is facing such a heatwave in the country. Numerous provinces across mainland China have been dealing with a devastating heatwave that has crippled the economy and forced the authorities to clock in desperate measures.
Last week, the Yangtze river had dried up in parts, forcing the regions that are dependent on the longest river to deploy pumps and cloud-seeding rockets.
Read More: China: Yangtze river shrinks; factories shut as drought hits hydropower
Meanwhile, Chengdu, the provincial capital of China's Sichuan province, has decided to dim outdoor advertisements, subway lighting and building signs to save energy amid a record heatwave.
German carmaker Volkswagen has shut its factory in the province and announced "a slight delay" in deliveries that it could recover "in the near future".
Similarly, according to Chinese authorities, the iconic sights in Shanghai will not be lit for two nights to save power as drought hits the power supply.
Read more: Chinese city dims lights to save power amid heatwave
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