Three workers killed in forest fire in Almora, Nainital reeling from smog

Three workers at a pine resin factory in Almora have died from burns they suffered while extinguishing a forest fire that reached close to their factory, an official said on Friday.

Another worker injured in the incident is still undergoing treatment, according to the forest department’s daily bulletin that contains data on damage caused by forest fires in the state in the last 24 hours.

All the workers were from Nepal and were not part of the designated firefighting teams, a forest official in Almora said.

They suffered burns on Thursday while struggling to douse the fire in Gananath area of ​​Almora forest department, near their factory. They were treated at the Almora base hospital, the official said.

According to a report from Nainital, smog has engulfed the tourist town due to the raging forest fires.

Air pollution is also increasing, which can cause health problems for residents. It can worsen the problems of patients already suffering from asthma and bronchitis, doctors said. Dr. MS Dugtal, senior doctor at a government hospital, said air pollution can aggravate asthma and lung problems in both children and the elderly. The smog that was visible everywhere from Nainital to Haldwani could be risky, he said, and advised people with respiratory problems such as chronic bronchitis and asthma to take their medicines regularly and avoid going out unless necessary.

Dr. Dugtal also advised people to use air purifiers at home and face masks when going out.

According to the data, 64 new forest fires were reported from different parts of the state in the last 24 hours, destroying 74.67 hectares of forest land.

Since November 1 last year, there have been 868 fire incidents in Uttarakhand, destroying more than 1,000 hectares of forest land.

Of the total number of fire incidents, Kumaon has reported 456 and Garhwal 344, the forest fire bulletin said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)