Massive wildfire breaks out in Arunachal; no casualties

Itanagar, Jan 24 (IANS) A major wildfire broke out near the Tawang Chu river in Arunachal Pradesh's Lungla Sub-Division on Friday threatening villages but was largely contained so far due to a swift response by local authorities and Army personnel, an official said, adding there were no reports of injuries or casualties.

A Forest Department official said that despite successful containment near the residential areas, the blaze continued in dense jungle due to steep terrain.

According to the official, a massive wildfire erupted in the river belt of Tawang Chu River near Sagkyur village, under Pamakhar Circle of Lungla Sub-Division in Arunachal Pradesh, earlier in the day.

The fire quickly spread, posing a significant threat to Sagkyur and adjoining villages.

Tawang Chu (Tawang river) is the prime river of Tawang district.

Two rivers from Tibet join this river in Tawang district and from there, the river flows into Bhutan and Assam.

The official said that timely intervention by the Lungla administration along with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indian Army personnel from the Tawang Brigade, state police, and local residents, contained the fire near the Sagkyur village and residential buildings, successfully preventing potential loss of lives and properties.

"However, the wildfire in the nearby forest continued due to the difficult terrain of steep mountains and dense, inaccessible forest,” the official said.

He said that the SSB, Army, police and other agencies are on high alert to contain the fire.

Officiating Additional Deputy Commissioner of Lungla, Ama Nungnu Mara, and District Disaster Management Officer of Tawang, Genden Tsomu, are leading the coordination and containment efforts on the spot.

Senior officials of the Indian Army, state police, SSB, Border Road Organisation and the Forest Department are actively monitoring the situation and continuing their hectic efforts to bring the fire under control.

The district administration requested the people to stay vigilant and report any further developments or incidents to the authorities immediately. Villagers are advised to maintain their safety and cooperate with the response teams to ensure swift action.