California wildfire death toll rises to 42
13 additional bodies found in blaze that has levelled 7,100 buildings
Highlights
-
13 additional bodies found from the "Camp Fire"
-
More than 8,000 firefighters battle 2 major wildfires in California
-
Blaze has razed 7,100 buildings
-
Iis the most destructive wildfire on record in California
-
200 people remain missing, according to police
Chico, California: Remains have been recovered from at least 42 people killed by a devastating wildfire that largely incinerated the town of Paradise in northern California, making it the deadliest in US history, the Butte County sheriff said on Monday.
The latest death toll was announced after authorities located the remains of 13 additional victims from the Camp Fire, which also ranks as the most destructive on record in California, having levelled more than 7,100 homes and other buildings since it erupted on Thursday, officials said.
The number of people killed by the fire had stood at 29 earlier in the day.
200 people 'missing'
The Butte County sheriff, Kory L. Honea, has said more than 200 people remain missing in and around the town, which sits in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and was popular with retirees.
“My sincere hope is that I don’t have to come here each night and report a higher and higher number,” Sheriff Honea said at a news conference Monday night.
The fire, which continues to rage in the hills and ravines east of the city of Chico, is also the most destructive fire in California history, with more than 7,100 structures destroyed, most of them homes.