JOIN USThe death toll from the devastating forest in the reserve forest atop the Kurangani hills in Theni, 500 km from here, on Thursday rose to 18 with a young woman succumbing to her injuries at a private hospital in Coimbatore.
E Jayashree, hailing from Chennai, was rushed to a private hospital in Coimbatore on March 12, a day after the fire engulfed the forest leaving more than 30 trekkers trapped. Massive rescue efforts were mounted to save all those trapped, but nine bodies were recovered and the rest, some with severe burn injuries, were rescued and admitted to hospitals.
Jayashree, who was rescued with 80 percent burn injuries, breathed her last on Thursday morning, sources said, adding that with her death, the toll in the fire incident has risen to 18. The trekkers, most of whom were women, had gone to the Kurangani forest as part of an expedition on the occasion of Women's Day.
While the government claims the trekkers had no permission to enter the hills, those who were part of the tour say they paid Rs 200 as entry fee before entering the check post.
Meanwhile, seasoned Atulya Misra, currently the Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Tamil Nadu Government, began his inquiry into the incident. The senior IAS official is expected to submit his report on what led to the fire and how to ensure incidents of such nature do not recur in the future within two months.
Misra will interact with people from villages near the Kurangani hills and he has already asked those with knowledge about the terrain and incident to submit comments or suggestions in writing.