British schoolchildren evacuated from Machu Picchu after forest fire engulf the mountain
British schoolchildren evacuated from Machu Picchu after forest fire engulf the mountain
23 July 2017
published by http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Peru – Dozens of British schoolchildren and hundreds tourists have been evacuated from the Andes after a huge forest fire broke out on the mountain.
Pupils from Lancashire were among the sightseers forced to leave Machu Picchu, an Incan citadel set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru.
Hundreds trekked for five hours downhill to vacate the site and were led down a long rocky trail to safety.
Former Sky News journalist Chris Skudder described how he was hoping to set up camp next to the world famous heritage site when the alarm was sounded.
Posting to Twitter, he wrote: ‘Currently being evacuated from Machu Picchu historic site in Peru after a massive mountain fire.’
He told The Sun: ‘Tourists being led off surrounding mountains after wild fire on adjacent mountain thick smoke obscuring all views.
‘I should have been in campsite close to Machu Picchu tonight but rangers are not allowing anyone in.
‘My group having to be led down special porters route away from smoke. It’s a five hour descent to the nearest town.’
Around thirty pupils and teachers from Ormskirk in Lancashire were evacuated.
Mr Skudder said no one was in danger at that stage.
He estimated up to 100 Brits’ trips were disrupted, adding the trek downhill overnight took about five hours to complete.
Portugal is to reduce the number of eucalyptus groves after the highly flammable plant was blamed for last month’s deadly forest fires.
Parliament voted for the measure Wednesday as part of ongoing forest law reforms that started in April, before the blaze in the central Pedrogao Grande region that killed 64 people and injured more than 250.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa last week urged measures to prevent a repeat catastrophe, while also highlighting the challenges of forest redevelopment.
“We can’t refuse to curb the growth of eucalyptus because we’re worried about its impact on the paper industry,” he said last week, referring to a sector that represents 4.9 percent of Portuguese exports.
Eucalyptus is Portugal’s most widespread forest plant, according to the country’s Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests.
But it is cited as a cause offorest fires that lay waste annually to around 100,000 hectares of vegetation.
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-07-eucalyptus-deadly-portugal-forest.html#jCpPortugal is to reduce the number of eucalyptus groves after the highly flammable plant was blamed for last month’s deadly forest fires.
Parliament voted for the measure Wednesday as part of ongoing forest law reforms that started in April, before the blaze in the central Pedrogao Grande region that killed 64 people and injured more than 250.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa last week urged measures to prevent a repeat catastrophe, while also highlighting the challenges of forest redevelopment.
“We can’t refuse to curb the growth of eucalyptus because we’re worried about its impact on the paper industry,” he said last week, referring to a sector that represents 4.9 percent of Portuguese exports.
Eucalyptus is Portugal’s most widespread forest plant, according to the country’s Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests.
But it is cited as a cause offorest fires that lay waste annually to around 100,000 hectares of vegetation.
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-07-eucalyptus-deadly-portugal-forest.html#jCpPortugal is to reduce the number of eucalyptus groves after the highly flammable plant was blamed for last month’s deadly forest fires.
Parliament voted for the measure Wednesday as part of ongoing forest law reforms that started in April, before the blaze in the central Pedrogao Grande region that killed 64 people and injured more than 250.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa last week urged measures to prevent a repeat catastrophe, while also highlighting the challenges of forest redevelopment.
“We can’t refuse to curb the growth of eucalyptus because we’re worried about its impact on the paper industry,” he said last week, referring to a sector that represents 4.9 percent of Portuguese exports.
Eucalyptus is Portugal’s most widespread forest plant, according to the country’s Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests.
But it is cited as a cause offorest fires that lay waste annually to around 100,000 hectares of vegetation.
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-07-eucalyptus-deadly-portugal-forest.html#jCpPortugal is to reduce the number of eucalyptus groves after the highly flammable plant was blamed for last month’s deadly forest fires.
Parliament voted for the measure Wednesday as part of ongoing forest law reforms that started in April, before the blaze in the central Pedrogao Grande region that killed 64 people and injured more than 250.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa last week urged measures to prevent a repeat catastrophe, while also highlighting the challenges of forest redevelopment.
“We can’t refuse to curb the growth of eucalyptus because we’re worried about its impact on the paper industry,” he said last week, referring to a sector that represents 4.9 percent of Portuguese exports.
Eucalyptus is Portugal’s most widespread forest plant, according to the country’s Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests.
But it is cited as a cause offorest fires that lay waste annually to around 100,000 hectares of vegetation.
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-07-eucalyptus-deadly-portugal-forest.html#jCp
