U'khand's toll in forest fires rises to eight

The death toll in Uttarakhand forest fires since January this year has risen to eight with one more person dying while dousing a wildfire in Chamoli district, a police official said on Thursday.

Raghuvir Lal, 65, a retired PWD employee, was charred to death when he was engulfed in flames while trying to extinguish a blaze in Soniyala forest area near his farm in Gadoli village on Tuesday, Station House Officer of Gairsain police station, Subhash Jakhmola, said.

A 19-year-old man had died of injuries sustained while dousing a forest fire in his village in Didihat forest range of Pithoragarh district on Saturday last week.

Two deaths due to forest fire were reported from Almora in January and two each from Bageshwar and Pauri districts in February.