BENGALURU: Beat forester Sundaresh attached to Sakaleshpura forest range in Hassan district succumbed to burn injuries at a hospital in Bengaluru on Saturday while Manjunath, a Deputy Range Forest Officer is continuing to get treatment for burn injuries which the duo sustained during an operation to douse wild blaze in reserve forest of Sakaleshpura on Thursday.
A couple of years back, a forest guard Murigeppa succumbed to serious burn injuries which he sustained while dousing wildfire at Moleyur range of Bandipura National Park in Chamarajanagar district in February, 2017.
On Thursday, Sundaresh, Manjunath and four forest personnel were engaged in firefighting in a deep forest place of Mannibikthi reserve forest area of Sakaleshpura and the wildfire intensified with the gusty winds blowing across the area. The reserve forest with tall grass growth made it difficult for the forest personnel to douse the fire.
Sundaresh and Manjunath both sustained serious injuries and were lifted from the deep forest and shifted to Kadumane Estate, 10 km away from the forest, and admitted to a hospital.
The duo were treated at a hospital in Hassan before being shifted to a private hospital in Bengaluru where Sundaresh succumbed to the injuries.
Sundaresh worked in the Kadumane beat of Sakaleshpura and was serving in the range for six years. Earlier, he was posted in Tumakuru where he is said to have worked for four years. He belongs to Shikaripura taluk in Shivamogga district. He is survived by wife and a child.
A forest personnel in Hassan, Pruthvi, an associate of Sundaresh told Deccan Chronicle that he led from the front during rogue elephant capture operations in Sakaleshpura and was committed to his work. Wildlife veterinarian Mujid-ur-Rehman termed Sundaresh a hard working person.
