Children run as forest fires rage in Sainyabuli Province, northern Laos, yesterday (April 8), spewing smoke and fire in the air.<br /><br />Footage from a village in the region shows the panic-stricken residents trying to get away as flames move closer to their homes. <br /><br />The bushfires have increased in recent weeks, destroying more than 70 square miles of forest. A Lao government report from Monday also said that more than 25 villagers had been affected by the fires.<br /><br />They have been caused by farmers using an agricultural technique known as 'slash-and-burn' which involves setting alight waste crops to clear the land so it is ready for more seeds to be planted.
