Wildfire destroys pine trees in Balouchistan

Three people burned to death and four others were wounded following a fire that engulfed thousands of pine trees in Sherani district, Balochistan, late Wednesday night.

While a group of local volunteers rushed to the mountainous region to contain the fire, they did nothing to deal with the fierce fire.

Ijaz Ahmed, the deputy commissioner of Sherani, said the three persons died after burning pine nuts fell on them. The four wounded were hospitalized and their condition was stable.

‘The enormous fire spread seven kilometres from the point of origin,’ said the deputy commissioner. The administration rushed in a helicopter to extinguish the fire, but in vain. “Rain is our only hope now,” he added.

He expressed his concern that the fire could envelop more areas and could extend to the southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa areas.

“The Balochistan government should call on the National Disaster Management Authority and other federal institutions to assist with fire control.”