9 people have been confirmed to be dead and while 27 have been rescued so far in a forest fire that engulfed the hills above Kurangani in the Theni district of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Search operations have now been intensified inside the forest.
The Theni police informed that most of the people had died due to burning and more people have been reportedly trapped inside the forest as well.
The people who have been rescued so far have been admitted to the Theni Medical College and Bodinaikanoor general hospital.
Rescue operations are being jointly conducted by the Navy helicopters and the Airforce commandos who have arrived from Coimbatore.
24 persons from the Chennai Trekking Club, comprising of 22 women and two men and a 12 member trekker, mostly families from Tirupur and Erode districts have been trapped in the fire.
