Nirmala Sitharaman: Tamil Nadu forest fire doused

Nirmala Sitharaman

An Indian Air Force helicopter doused the fire at Kurangani hills area in Tamil Nadu that left nine persons dead, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. At least 16 Garud Commando Force personnel have been engaged in the search and rescue operation at the site, the Defence Minister said, adding they were working on moving the dead bodies to a place from where they can be collected.

According to the minister, two helicopters have been engaged in the task of moving the bodies. At least 27 people have so far been rescued from the site, out of which ten suffered minor injuries and eight were seriously hurt. The IAF was on Sunday pressed into action by Sitharaman after reports of the fire surfaced. The operation is underway and further details are awaited.

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