Fire engulfs forest areas of Rajouri, Poonch in J&K

Jammu, June 5 (PTI) Fire engulfed two forest areas in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in the Jammu region on Wednesday, causing damage to vast tracts of land, officials said.

In Poonch, the fire erupted in Bhatadurian area near the Line of Control (LoC) in Mendhar belt and spread to nearby areas, they said.

The administration, forest officials, army and locals are working to douse the flames, they added.

Another blaze broke out in Rajouri’s Nowshera forest, prompting locals and forest department officials to launch a firefighting operation, the officials said.

Teams are working tirelessly to control the blaze and prevent further damage to the ecologically sensitive area, they said.

The twin forest fires destroyed large areas of plantation and other forest wealth, according to the officials.