22 February,2018 04:35 PM IST | Mumbai | A correspondent
A major forest fire broke out at the western periphery of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) near Kandivli East on Wednesday evening. It is feared that a huge portion of the forest was gutted in the fire that took place near Damu Nagar.
A resident of Lokhandwala Township, adjacent to SGNP, told mid-day that the fire started around 7.30 pm and spread quickly across the forest. "Forest fires are common in this stretch. It might have been caused by slum dwellers living close to the forest. I spotted the fire at 7.30 pm, and it had spread in no time at all. We hope that the officials concerned from SGNP take serious note of this.
Once they have the fire totally under control, they should thoroughly investigate why such blazes occur so frequently. Strict action should be taken against those who torch these forest fires," said the resident.
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The fire brigade's control room told mid-day that they sent fire engines and water tankers to the spot to douse the flames.
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