Tibet forest fire untamed

XIGAZE, China, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Bush forest fires in a small Tibetan county have not been brought under control despite two days of rescue work, Xinhuanet reports.

Strong winds, dangerous mountain terrain and a lack of nearby water sources hamper firefighting efforts, a local rescue team said.

The fires broke out at 12:50 p.m. local time Sunday in bushes of Tingri county in Xigaze, at the foot of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak.

The fires originated about 30 miles from Everest and have burned 9 miles of forests so far. Flames are about 2.5 miles away from the virgin forests in a natural reserve around Everest.