Wildfire kills 3, damages 150 buildings in US

A wildfire sweeping through the central US state of Tennessee has killed three people and destroyed more than 150 buildings, a local official said.

"We do not have further information on them at this time," Sevier County mayor Larry Waters told reporters on Tuesday, adding the relatives of the dead were being contacted.

The wind-swept wildfire raged across Tennessee -- which has suffered exceptional drought in past months -- damaging more than 100 buildings and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 14,000 people fled overnight from the town of Gatlinburg alone. The fire damaged more than 150 buildings there, including a 16-story hotel and an apartment complex, said the state's emergency management agency.

At least 12 people were being treated for severe burns and other non-life-threatening injuries at local hospitals.

More than 400 firefighters have been deployed since Monday night in shifts to fight the fire.

--IANS

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