Uttarakhand forest fire: Four injured workers to be airlifted to Delhi hospital, says Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India] June 14 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said that four forest workers who were burnt in the forest fire in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in the State’s Almore district are being shifted to the AIIMS hospital in New Delhi in two air ambulances.

Talking to ANI exclusively, Dhami said he has given instructions to airlift the injured workers so that they can get the best possible health benefits.

The four workers who sustained burn injuries in the forest fire in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary will be airlifted from the Sushila Tiwari Base Hospital in Haldwani, where they are undergoing treatment.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at the Chief Minister’s residence this morning.

Yesterday, a vehicle in which forest workers were travelling inside the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary was caught in the grip of a forest fire. Four forest workers died while four forest workers who sustained burn injuries were airlifted and admitted to the Haldwani Hospital.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday expressed sorrow over the demise of four forest workers

Taking to X, the Congress leader said, “The news of the deaths of four employees and the injury of several others while fighting a forest fire in Almora, Uttarakhand is extremely sad. I pray to God for everyone. I urge the state government to provide compensation and assistance at every possible level to the affected families.”

“This incident is part of a larger crisis as Uttarakhand’s forests have been burning for several months, devastating hundreds of hectares”, Priyanka Gandhi said.

Chief Minister Dhami said orders have been given for an investigation into the incident and to take action against those who are guilty.

During a high-level meeting with senior officials, including the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, and Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF), Dhami emphasized the urgency of the situation and the need to extinguish the fire as soon as possible.

Forest officials reported that the blaze in Binsar, Almora district, turned deadly due to strong winds. Manoj Sanwal, Ranger of the Forest Department, stated that the fire escalated dramatically when a team of eight firefighters arrived at the scene around 3 pm on Thursday.

The strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly, resulting in the immediate deaths of four firefighters and serious injuries to four others, who were subsequently rushed to the base hospital for urgent medical care.