Guard injured in forest fire dies in Bengaluru, officer critical - Hindustan Times
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Guard injured in forest fire dies in Bengaluru, officer critical

Feb 19, 2023 01:35 AM IST

At around noon the speed of the wind increased, and the four forest personnel were stuck in fire. Watchers Tungesh and Mahesh escaped with minor injuries, while DRFO Manjunath and guard Sundaresh sustained serious burns, officials said

Mysuru: A forest guard who was seriously injured while extinguishing a wildfire in Mani Bhikthi reserve forest died in a private hospital in Bengaluru on Friday night, while a deputy range forest officer (DRFO) is battling for life in the same hospital, officials said.

A team of four forest department personnel went to Manibhikti reserve forest, around 20 kilometres from Sakalaeshapura in Hassan district, to extinguish wildfire. (HT Archives)
A team of four forest department personnel went to Manibhikti reserve forest, around 20 kilometres from Sakalaeshapura in Hassan district, to extinguish wildfire. (HT Archives)

According to forest officials, a team of four personnel -- DRFO Manjunath, forest guard Sundaresh, and forest watchers Tungesh and Mahesh -- went to Manibhikti reserve forest, around 20 kilometres from Sakalaeshapura in Hassan district. The wildfire was sighted on Wednesday evening and the four went inside the forest on foot on Thursday to extinguish it.

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But at around noon the speed of the wind increased, and the four forest personnel were stuck in fire. Watchers Tungesh and Mahesh escaped with minor injuries, while DRFO Manjunath and guard Sundaresh sustained serious burns, the officials said.

As there was no mobile network, the incident came to light only after Tungesh came to Kadumane estate. Police constable Nandish, gram panchayat former member Megharaj, social workers Janekere Tejesh, Mahesh and Nadeem went to the forest immediately and managed to bring back the injured three personnel by carrying them.

After providing first aid in Sakaleshapura government hospital, seriously injured Manjunath and Sundaresh were shifted to a private hospital in Bengaluru in zero traffic. Sundaresh succumbed to injuries on Friday night.

Manjunath is undergoing treatment now, while two watchers are said to be out of danger.

‘’We have requested forest authorities for a helicopter to shift patients from inside the forest, but they did not respond to it positively. The injured were brought on the shoulders to road, and this delayed treatment for 5 hours,’’ said Hebbasale gram panchayat former member Megharaj.

The local villagers expressed anger against higher officers for negligence in handling the situation.

‘’I spoke with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests; it is really sad that the guard who went to extinguish the died. Without cylinder and fire extinguishing equipment, forest department is sending personnel to the forest and it is a crime,’’ said Sakaleshapura former MLA H M Vishwanath. He said poachers entering the forest from the Gundya side are cooking in the forest by camping there, and the department should conduct a high-level probe to find out who triggered fire in the forest.

‘’ Soon after receiving information about the accident we swung into action, arranged an ambulance to shift seriously injured two personnel to Bengaluru, requested police for zero traffic to Bengaluru, and provided treatment to them,” Sakleshpura RFO Shilpa said.

She said the body of Sundaresh was kept on DCF office premises for paying respect and was then cremated at Theerthalli in Shimoga district.

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