Four forest workers die, four injured in forest fire in Binsar wildlife sanctuary

Friday, 14 JUNE 2024 | PNS | BAGESHWAR

Four forest workers died and four others sustained burns while trying to extinguish a forest fire in the Binsar wildlife sanctuary in Almora on Thursday. Expressing grief at the deaths, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered officials to immediately airlift the four other injured forest workers to the base hospital in Haldwani for treatment. He also directed that the seriously injured should be airlifted from Haldwani to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh. The CM also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of those killed while tackling the forest fire.

According to officials, a forest fire was reported at about 3:30 PM in the Civil Soyam division of Binsar wildlife sanctuary in Almora. Eight forest personnel in a jeep reached the site on being informed about the forest fire. The fire watchers and PRD personnel were planning to extinguish the fire when the forest fire surrounded them from all sides. While four of them were fatally burned, four others were injured. When Forest department officials received information about the team being trapped in the forest, forest range officer Manoj Sanwal and other employees reached the spot and rescued four employees and brought them to base hospital in Almora for treatment. After primary treatment, two of the injured were referred to the higher centre in Haldwani by the doctors. Base hospital medical superintendent Ashok Kumar said that two of the men had suffered more than 50 per cent burns in the accident.

Special secretary to the CM Parag Madhukar Dhakate said that the administration is keeping an eye on the incident. The injured workers were being airlifted to Haldwani on the CM’s directions.