Theni Forest Fire: How Women’s Day special expedition turned into a tragedy

A weekend trekking expedition at the Kurangani reserve forest in Tamil Nadu’s Theni turned tragic with ten trekkers, including five women and one child, were killed in the massive forest fire in the hills on Sunday. Among the dead, six were from Chennai while three were from Erode district.

“Out of the 36 trekkers, 27 are rescued from the hills while nine persons are dead. Of the rescued, 17 were hospitalised and 10 did not require hospitalisation,” Theni district collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev said. One of the hospitalised women succumbed to injuries on Monday evening while seven others battling for the lives in the hospital after suffering burn injuries ranging from 50 to 90 per cent.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami who visited the injured trekkers in the government hospital in Madurai announced a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the family of the deceased while Rs 1 lakh to those suffered severe injuries.

Special Expedition

It was a women’s day special trek to Kolukkumalai peak in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district that has ended on a tragic note with nine persons charred to death in a raging forest fire on Sunday.

A group of 24 persons comprising of …read more