Uttarakhand Forest Fire Claims Another Life — 4th Casualty In 3 Days: Report

In wake of the fire, Adi Kailash helicopter darshan service, which started last month, has been halted for the second day in the row

Representational Image. ( Image Source :PTI )

Fuming fire in several forest ranges of Uttarakhand have claimed another life of a 28-year-old woman. This incident has taken the overall death toll to 4, Times Of India reported. In wake of the fire, Adi Kailash helicopter darshan service, which started last month, has been halted for the second day in the row, and flight operations at Naini-Saini airport in Pithoragarh have been suspended. 

Devotees at Dunagiri temple in Almora district were asked to go back on Saturday as fire seized the passage to the temple. As fire engulfed the area, videos of pilgrims screaming and running for safety went viral on social media. According to the forest officials, due to the strong winds, the fire transformed into a "crown fire". Temple and forest officials quicly helped devotees to safety, and no casualties were reported. 

As per the locals, the fire left the string of ash dust in the air which they are breathing it in. “There are a few places on the road from Haldwani where rocks have fallen and there are landslides due to the fires. We are seeing the hills burning at night and in daytime, the smoke prevents visibility. It’s almost like an apocalypse,” a resident of Mukteshwar was quoted as saying by Times Of India in its report. 

As a result of the forest fire, somg has engulfed the tourist town, according to a repot from Nainital, PTI reported. In wake of this, air pollution is on rise that may cause further health problems for the residents. As per the doctors, this may accelertae the problems of patients already suffering from asthma and bronchitis. 

Air pollution can increase asthma and lung problems in children as well as the elderly, according to Dr MS Dugtal, senior physician at a government hospital. On the other hand, Dr Dugtal urged people to use air purifiers in their homes and face masks while going out.