TEGUCIGALPA, March 9 (Reuters) - Seven firefighters died in Honduras on Sunday overwhelmed by a raging forest blaze on the outskirts of the capital, the military said.

The firefighters, four soldiers and three forestry workers, were part of a 200-strong team been battling to contain the fire on a mountainside close to Tegucigalpa since Friday.

They were working to put out the fire and suddenly there was a change of wind direction and they were engulfed by flames, Gen. Orlando Vasquez told local radio.

Honduras is at the start of its summer and forest fires at common at this time. (Reporting by Gustavo Palencia, writing by Chris Aspin, editing by Todd Eastham)

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