Fatehabad, May 2
One person was killed while at least 12 others, including two children, received burn injuries in a devastating fire that raged in the Jakhal area of the district all through the night yesterday.
The fire kept the district authorities on their toes till late in the night and affected agriculture fields in 25 villages.
Shakarpura, Shakarpur Dhani, Lakhuwali, Dher, Meond Dhani, Hindalwala, Nathuwal, Chillewal, Kanakhera, Dera Abadi, Diwana, Jamalpur Shekhan and Dharsul villages were the worst affected by the fire.
The fire, according to sources, began from an agriculture field in Mundalian village near Jakhal town late in the evening yesterday and strong winds that followed spread the flames to nearby fields.
Before villagers could understand the gravity of the situation and make efforts to extinguish the fire, it had already spread like wild fire.
An area running into several
kilometers was under fire during the night as people living in “dhanis” ran for shelter.
Fortunately, the fire did not reach the dwelling areas of the villages, but those living in “dhanis” constructed in the fields could not escape the wrath of the inferno and over 50 houses were gutted in the fire.
Animal fodder on over 1,000 acres was also burnt.
Jeethu Ram, a resident of Dharsul Kalan village, died of suffocation after he was embroiled in a thick smoke emanating from the fire.
Two children received burn injuries in Lakhuwali Dhani village and were taken to a Tohana hospital. A 10-month-old child, Parveen, was in a critical condition.
Eight others from this small village are being treated at their residences by medical teams sent by the health authorities.
Madan Lal Bishnoi, fire officer, Fatehabad, who supervised the rescue operations throughout the night, said dry wheat
straw and strong winds made the situation worse.
Meanwhile, the revenue authorities have begun a survey to assess the loss and find the cause of the fire.
Tilak Raj, subdivisional magistrate, Tohana, said he had sent revenue officials to the affected villages to assess the loss due to the fire.
He said medical teams had also been rushed to provide relief to those affected by the fire. He said action would be taken if it was found that the fire started due to burning of straw by some farmer. The SDM said a seminar would be held in which farmers would be told the disadvantages of burning wheat straw.
