Namibia deploys hundreds of soldiers to fight Etosha fire

Namibia began deploying hundreds of soldiers on Sunday to fight a fire that has burned through a third of the vast Etosha National Park, one of Africa's largest game reserves, officials said.

The park in the north of the largely desert nation is home to 114 species of mammals, notably the critically endangered black rhinoceros, and is a major tourist attraction.

The fire had been raging since September 22 and has caused extensive ecological damage, already burning through about 34 percent of the park, the environment ministry said.

After an emergency cabinet meeting Saturday, the government said 500 extra soldiers would be deployed from Sunday to assist teams of troops, police, locals and other firefighters at the scene, Prime Minister Tjitunga Elijah Nguare's office said in a post on Facebook.

"The order was given that the troops must be deployed, and if all are not on the ground yet, they will be there soon," Defence Minister Frans Kapofi told AFP Sunday.

"They are deployed from various regions and will be deployed to all affected areas," he said.

At least nine antelopes have been killed in the blaze, which is believed to have started from charcoal production activities on bordering commercial farms, the ministry said.

The main feature of the 22,270 square-kilometre (8,600 square-mile) park is the ancient Etosha salt pan, which is around 130 kilometres long and 50 kilometres wide and draws huge flocks of flamingoes during the rainy season.