ISLAMABAD: Relief efforts, spearheaded by Pakistan Army and Balochistan FC, are underway to control the fire in a pine forest near Shergali in Balochistan’s Sherani district, the military said in a statement.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the fire began on May 18 and yet to be brought under control. “Balochistan PDMA in coordination with NDMA is steering relief effort and organising firefighting activity,” it added.
The military’s media wing said that the army and Balochistan FC are providing maximum assistance, adding that Quetta Corps is also coordinating closely with the PDMA.
“Fire is mostly on mountain tops (10,000 feet high) away from population centres but continues to spread due to hot weather, inaccessible nature of the terrain and dry winds,” the statement said.
The ISPR said that the nearest village is approximately eight to ten kilometres away from the location of the fire, adding that about 10 families residing in isolated houses have been shifted to the medical relief camp established in Manikhawa by Balochistan FC.
Highlighting the details of the rescue operation, it said that FC wing and two army helicopters along with local administration and levies have been employed for firefighting and relief efforts. “One helicopter is being used to drop water and the other is being used to drop fireball and fire extinguishing chemicals on the fire,” it added.
The military’s media wing further said that 400 fireballs, 200 fire suits, blankets, tents, mats and fire extinguishing equipment have been provided by NDMA through Balochistan FC.
It further said that the army has also transported relief equipment from Lahore to Zhob.
At least three people were killed when a burning log fell on them in Sherani. They were trying to extinguish the fire. Four people sustained serious burn injuries in the incident.
Local residents claimed that fire erupted in the adjacent Mughal Kot area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province on May 9 and local levies and forest guards tried to extinguish it on their own but due to difficult terrain they failed.
Koh-e-Sulaiman is also known for being the world’s largest chilghoza (pine nut) forest on higher elevations. The 26,000-hectare forest produces around 640,000 kilogrammes of chilghozas annually.
