City
Epaper

Underground fires in UP forests spark panic

By IANS | Updated: June 15, 2019 15:45 IST

Underground fires in the forest ranges of Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh have triggered panic among the local villagers who have started fleeing their homes as smoke has been seen emerging from cracks in the ground.

Open in App

According to reports, smoke has been emerging from cracks in the ground in Mohammadi area and the land is heated up underneath.

Bela Pahara and Muda Galib villages have been affected.

"You cannot walk barefoot because the ground is almost on fire. The cattle is getting restless and we are now moving out because you never know when the flames break out. We have never seen something like this," said Munawwar Naqvi, a local farmer.

Farmers are also getting increasingly apprehensive about damage to vegetable crops.

While villagers claim that this could be the beginning of a volcanic eruption, local revenue official, Vikas Dubey said, "The incident is a natural phenomenon in which fire breaks out in underground humus layers."

He said the land where the underground fire occurred has been lying barren for several decades and dry leaves, twigs and branches from nearby jungles accumulated there and formed the underground humus layer.

He said that: "The overground fire had been put out but it unknowingly caught the humus layers which resulted in smoke emission from the cracks."

Meanwhile, Divisional Forest Officer Sameer Kumar said forest officials were sent to dig up trenches around the affected land to prevent the spread of fire to the nearby forest area.

Field Director of Dudhwa, R.K. Pandey said that swamps often develop underground holes in which organic matter accumulates and scorching heat sometimes results in such underground fire.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: Sameer Kumar
Open in App

Related Stories

NationalMan arrested in Bengaluru for killing wife

National Realted Stories

NationalPak resorts to unprovoked firing on J&K LoC, Indian Army gives befitting reply

NationalOdisha Family in Shock as 72-Year-Old Woman Receives Notice to Return to Pakistan After Pahalgam Terror Attack

NationalJNUSU Election Result 2025: Left Alliance Retains Control, ABVP Makes Significant Gains

NationalFive Bangladeshi nationals pushed back for illegal infiltration: Assam CM

National‘Not just half an hour, but Pakistan is half a century behind India’: Owaisi