Uttarakhand wildfire claims fifth life in three days

In Uttarakhand, raging wildfires have tragically claimed five lives in just three days. Among the victims was a 28-year-old Nepalese woman named Pooja, who sustained severe burns while trying to extinguish a fire near a pine resin factory in Almora district. Her husband and two others had also perished while battling the same blaze earlier.

Another casualty was a 65-year-old woman who succumbed to burn injuries sustained while attempting to douse a forest fire that reached her farm in Pauri tehsil. Additionally, three labourers lost their lives while combating a forest fire near their pine resin factory in Almora.

The fires have caused chaos, forcing pilgrims at Dunagiri temple to flee as flames engulfed the passage to the shrine. Forest officials attribute the rapid spread to strong winds. Moreover, low visibility due to smoke has led to the suspension of flight arrivals at the Naini-Saini airport in Pithoragarh.

Uttarakhand's Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, convened a review meeting to address the situation, urging officials to establish a mechanism for swift fire control. Since November 1, 2023, the state has witnessed 910 forest fire incidents, affecting approximately 1145 hectares of forest land.

On a positive note, there is hope for relief as the director of the Meteorological Center in Dehradun, Bikram Singh, predicts rain from May 7-8, intensifying from May 11. The Kumaon region is expected to receive rain on May 7, followed by the Garhwal region on May 8, which could help quell the fires.

In a disturbing development, three individuals from Bihar were arrested in Chamoli district for allegedly starting a fire in the Gairsain area and uploading a video of it on social media to gain popularity. The police acted swiftly upon spotting the video circulating online and apprehended the culprits, who confessed to their motives of seeking social media fame.