Banihal: At least eight houses were gutted while over 35 others are engulfed as massive fire rages in the hilly area of Banihal in JK’s Ramban district, officials said.
They said the fire erupted in Hijwah village of Mahu Mangit area under the jurisdiction of police post Khari.
The area is hilly and houses are mainly made of wood, the officials said. So far, eight houses have been gutted in the fire the cause of which is still unknown. The area is around 40 kilometers from district headquarters.
Meanwhile, in an unprecedented move, an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter has been pressed into service in Dal Lake to facilitate the ongoing firefighting operation launched to put off the massive blaze going on in Hijwah village.
Officials sources that the move was ‘necessitated’ as the fire has already spread to a wider area. “Several structures have already got damaged in the massive inferno”, they said adding that the authorities are facing huge difficulties to bring the enraging flames under control.
“The helicopter has been deployed near Char Chinari, with ‘Bambi bucket’ attached to it to facilitate the ongoing firefighting operation,” they said.
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