SHANGLA: Forest blazes killed three people, including a firefighter, here on Thursday taking death toll from the local wildfires in the week to seven.

Officials of the forest department told Dawn that a fire erupted in Manga Sar area of Chakesar tehsil and spread to the nearby forests prompting the Rescue 1122 and forest teams to join hands for extinguishing it.

They said the raging fire killed Rescue 1122 worker Nizamuddin, while others fainted due to intense heat and smoke.

The officials said the workers were shifted to the Chakesar rural health centre.

Rescue 1122 station head Sheraz Khan said the deceased belonged to Baina area of Puran tehsil and his funeral prayer was offered in the Cheksar hospital, where the deputy commissioner and officials of the relevant departments showed up.

Meanwhile, a woman and his son were killed after a forest fire engulfed their cattle pen in Lelai area of Besham tehsil here.

The local forest officials told Dawn that the fire erupted in Lelai area and spread fast to nearby areas, including the deceased’s.

They said the blaze engulfed a cattle owner, whose woman owner along with her son tried in vain to evacuate trapped cattle and ended up dying in the raging flames.

Sub-divisional forest officer of Karora Circle Zahid Hussain said the department had formally asked the forest secretary for a helicopter but it reached the area shortly after the fire erupted in several other areas.

Four members of a family were killed by a forest blaze in Ali Jan area of Chakesar tehsil last Monday.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the environment department disclosed the arrest of seven people for starting forest fires in Swat district.

In a statement issued in Peshawar on Thursday, he said Toti Rehman, Gohar, Sardar Ali, Khaista Rehman, Bacha Rehman, Ali Sher and Bakht Sher were held with the help of the Kabal police over wildfires in Khemdarra, Assugai and Dokat areas.

The spokesman said the arrested men were booked under sections 149, 427 and 435 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 33A of the Forest Act.

Published in Dawn,June 10th, 2022