PM orders dispatching helicopters as wildfire spreads on Swat mountains
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The rescue teams have succeeded in partially dousing the fire that broke out on Charbagh Kot Mountain in Swat while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sensing the gravity of the situation has ordered to dispatch two helicopters to put out raging forest fires in Pattaney area, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The fire fighters are trying hard to extinguish the wildfires that have been raging for the last several days in the mountains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa threatening the existence of fauna and flora, besides consuming four human lives and destroying human habitats.
Though the rescue teams controlled blazes on one side of Charbagh Kot Mountain that were leaping towards the populated areas last night but they failed to stop the march of the wildfire on other side of the mountain.
The KP Wildlife Department said in its tweet that “Fire erupted at Kot Tehsil Charbagh District Swat. District Administration, Pak Army, Rescue 1122, Tehsil Administration, Local people and staff of Wildlife Department busy trying to extinguish the fire.
05.06.2022
— Wildlife Department KP (@WildlifeKPGovt) June 5, 2022
Swat Wildlife Division
Fire erupted at Kot Tehsil Charbagh District Swat. DISTRICT Administration, Pak Army, Rescue 1122, Tehsil Administration, Local people and staff of Wildlife Department busy trying to extinguish the fire. pic.twitter.com/Dv20nv5f3v
The Rescue 1122 and other firefighting bodies were involved in the hectic effort to extinguish fire.
Thousands of precious trees have burnt to ashes in the area.
Forest officials said fires had broken out in the mountains of Pattaney; an area in the suburbs of Mingora; the Sikai and Sigram mountain areas in tehsil Kabal;the Kota Aboha area in tehsil Barikot; and in the mountains of Charbagh.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the request of National Disaster Management Authority has ordered for the immediate dispatch of two helicopters which will take part in the fire extinguishing efforts in KP.
PM Shehbaz Sharif has immediately ordered the deployment of two helicopters on the request of NDMA to help put out the fire in the Swat area. The full aerial support will boost the efforts of Rescue 1122, district administration & forest department to extinguish the fire.
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) June 5, 2022
The district administration, forest department and Rescue 1122 are collaborating in putting out blazes in tehsil Babuzai in Mingora.
Officials and locals confirmed breakouts in different areas of districts Shangla, Haripur, Swat, Lower Dir and Mohmand. The administrations of affected areas said they had mobilized resources to put out the fires, which were destroying green trees and livestock grazing areas.
The KP administration has sought helicopters in the possible event of wildfire spread owing to dry and hot weather conditions and strong winds that are lashing the area.
The prime minister while accepting the district authorities’ request promptly reacted and ordered for the provision of air-borne help to control the sweeping fire.
Reporters Awais Kiyani and Awais Karam