Chennai: The operation to rescue the students trapped due to forest fire in Theni district in the State has been intensified with the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman directing the Indian Air Force (IAF) to join the rescue and evacuation efforts.
The Defence Minister on Sunday announced that following a request from the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, she has asked the IAF to dispatch its force to Kurangani forest and rescue the students. The Southern Command was in touch with the Theni district collector, she added.
The students who had gone to Kurankani hills in Theni district for trekking were caught in the forest fire. Fire tenders have also reached the spot to rescue them and the entire district machinery has been geared up to search and rescue the students.
In a series of tweets, the Minister said the Theni collector informed her over phone that all steps were being taken to rescue the students and that 10-15 students were descending from the hill.
Fire and rescue service force and forest officials are currently engaged in the rescue activities and to contain the forest fire. The collector also told her that he had dispatched a team of doctors to the spot so as to provide medical assistance to the students.
“Responding to the request from the Hon@CMOTamilNadu on the forest-fire related issue — 20 students are caught in Kurangani, Theni district. Instructed @IAF_MCC to help in rescue and evacuation. The Southern Command is in touch with the Collector of Theni,” Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted on Sunday evening.
