Uttarakhand forest fire: Mi-17 helicopters deployed as blaze enters 3rd month

May 01, 2016 11:21

With major fires destroying around 1,900 hectares of forests in Uttarakhand, the government has deployed two MI-17 helicopters into service to aid the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the SDRF and the Army personnel who are working to douse the flames.

Since the first week of February this year, over 922 incidents of forest fire have been reported in Uttarakhand. The fires have claimed the lives of six people - including three women and a child, in separate incidents. The blaze has also injured seven people so far and has blighted 1,890.79 hectares of green cover, Principal Conservator of Forest (Research) BP Gupta said.

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