Fires engulf Uttarakhand forests

Teams of National Disaster Management Force (NDRF) to douse the fires in the forests of Uttarakhand. Several fires have broken out in the thick forests of the state, with one estimate stating that fires have started in over 900 places.

NDRF teams are using helicopters to put out the fires. State Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has called a meeting of senior bureaucrats and experts to work out a plan of action to put out the fires.

Unconfirmed reports say that four persons have died in the fires, while seven animals have also lost their lives.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, spoke to Rawat over the phone to get first-hand information on the fires.