ITANAGAR, March 4 - A raging forest fire killed two elderly women, injured five others and damaged 35 hectares of apple orchard at Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh�s West Kameng district on Friday, according to an official report here.
The deceased have been identified as Chogymu and Ngawang Choden. One Dorjee Sangyal had sustained serious burn injuries, and four others minor injuries. The seriously injured person has been reportedly evacuated to Tezpur for treatment.
The fire which started due to alleged negligence of some people engulfed the entire forest area and burnt down many farming areas and few dwelling houses. As per the report, five sq km of area was consumed by the fire.
Meanwhile, the affected families have demanded a thorough inquiry into the incident and to book the culprits responsible for the fire mishap.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu has condoled the sad demise of the two ladies in the Dirang fire accident and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The Chief Minister issued directives to the district administration to provide immediate relief to the victims.
