MANSEHRA: Two children were burnt to death after being trapped in a wildfire in Garwal area of Pulrah here on Sunday.

“The victims, Mohammad Owais, 4, and his cousin, Tanveer Sadeer, 3, had taken a matchbox from their house to burn a dead snake in the forest, but as they started the fire strong wind spread the flame to the entire jungle, trapping them,” Mukhtar Tanoli, a local, told reporters.

“The children collected dried straw, put it on the snake and lit it. However, the fire engulfed the entire area within no time because of strong winds, trapping the minors,” Mr Tanoli added.

He said later bodies of both the children were shifted to their homes. An official at the Pulrah police station confirmed the incident, saying both the cousins were trapped in fire and killed. He said the police didn’t lodge an FIR as nobody had approached them.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2022