A huge forest fire that erupted almost a week ago continued to rage on Tuesday, reducing large swathes of one of the world’s finest pine forests to ashes in parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Due to the sheer incompetence and negligence of provincial authorities, the forest fire, that erupted under mysterious circumstances, has not gone out of control, prompting the Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Quddus Bizenjo to order authorities to move National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to bring the raging fire under control.
Locals told the media that well-coordinated and timely firefighting could have saved thousands of precious trees. Despite a lapse of almost seven days, concerned quarters remained either lax or did too little to put out the flames.
Dry and hot weather coupled with high winds continued to hider firefighting activity, giving more chance for the flames to spread to large portions of the forest.
National media reported that the fire has now spread to two tehsils of Toisar and Kingri of Musakhail district. “The main affected areas have been identified as Union Council Andar Parh and Zorak Parank,” a local journalist told the media.
Another local was quoted as saying that the “flames could be seen from miles away and a 10-km area has been engulfed.”
CM Bizenjo has reportedly directed Balochistan Chief Secretary to initiate an inquiry against officials of the forest department, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), and district administration for showing negligence.
He has also sought a report from concerned departments to ascertain the damages in the wake of the fire.