3 sustain burn injuries in Chamba forest fire

Three residents sustained severe burn injuries due to a forest fire in Prina village of Mehla block in Chamba district. The injured individuals, identified as Babloo, Dilip, and Manu Sharma, are all residents of Prina village.

Two of the injured are undergoing treatment at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba, while one critically injured person has been referred to Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda.

The incident occurred on Monday when the three villagers went to the Gharoti Mata Temple, located near their village, to offer prayers. While they were performing their rituals, a fire that had started in the forest below quickly spread due to dry leaves and reached the temple.

Despite their efforts to extinguish the fire and protect the temple, the trio got trapped in the blaze and suffered severe burns. The villagers rescued them and rushed them to the hospital.

Village Panchayat vice-president Kaka Ram Thakur expressed concern over the incident, emphasising the need for constant monitoring of forests by the Forest Department. He urged strict action against anyone found responsible for setting forest fires, in order to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

Dr Pankaj Gupta, Principal of the Medical College Chamba, confirmed that after initial treatment, one of the victims was referred to Tanda, while the other two are still under care at Chamba, with their condition improving.