Amid lockdown, two die in forest fire while crossing TN-Kerala borders

A 45-year-old woman and a minor girl from Tamil Nadu on Tuesday (March 24) died in a forest fire at the Bodi Forest region in Theni district in an effort to cross the Tamil Nadu – Kerala border via the jungle route.

With several state governments sealing borders and the Centre suspending all public transportation over the novel coronavirus outbreak, the two deceased along with seven others were stranded in Pooppara due to lack of inter-state bus service.

According to sources, eight people including three kids, all native of Rasingapuram village in Theni district had gone for work to Pooppara village in Idukki district of Kerala on Monday.

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“All the women workers including the three children might have taken the forest route to travel and reach their village. We got a call from one of the relatives of those who were trapped in the forest fire at around 2 in the afternoon. They got trapped near Chilamparathumpetty in Bodi forest region,” police sources said.

In the accident, two including a minor died while two others suffered minor burn injuries and five people were rescued safely, said the police.

The deceased have been identified as Vijayamani (45) and Keerthika (3). The women are believed to have gone to work in the estates in the Pooppara hills.

More inputs awaited…