India: Navy helicopters brought in to fight Vizag forest fire

Hyderabad: Massive efforts were underway to bring the forest fire near Visakhapatnam under control as the Indian Navy brought in three of its helicopters at the request of the state government.

Visakhapatnam district collector Parveen Kumar said the forest fire, which broke out on Thursday evening at Anandapur, had spread over an area of 3km around Kambalakonda forest and efforts were being made to bring it under control.

Officials from the fire, revenue and disaster management departments in the three districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam were at the scene of the fire.

200 fire fighters were involved in the operation, he said.

Three helicopters from the Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam were also making efforts to put out the fire.

“If we are not able to put out the fire by this evening, the efforts will resume tomorrow morning”, Parveen Kumar Said.

State minister for Panchayatraj Ayyanna Patrudu also visited the area and asked the local people to be alert against the further spread of fire.

After Cyclone Hudhud caused heavy deforestation last month by uprooting hundreds of thousands of trees, the area has turned into a tinder box and officials were anxious to curb the fire from spreading further.