THENI: With two more deaths reported at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) on Thursday, the toll in Kurangani forest fire has increased to 14. The deceased have been identified as Kannan, son of Giri, a native of Gobichettipalayam in Erode district, and Anuvidya, daughter of Muthumalai, a native of Chennai.
Sources said Kannan was an engineer and had gone for trekking to Kurangani with his friends. The trip was planned by his friend from school, Vivek, who died earlier in the forest fire. Vivek’s wife Divya had breathed her last at the GRH on Tuesday.
Sources said 26-year-old Kannan was admitted to GRH with 70 per cent burn injuries and was on life support since Tuesday. However, he succumbed to burns on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, Anuvidya, who sustained 90 per cent burns was admitted in the GRH on Monday in a critical condition. After battling for life for three days, she also died on Thursday evening.
Travel agent remanded
In another development, the travel agent from Erode, Prabu, who was arrested on charges of taking 12 trekkers to Kolukkumalai forest without adhering to adequate safety measures and for trespassing into the forest area, was remanded in custody on Thursday.
Sources said while Prabu, a resident of Kattur near Chennimalai, had brought the trekkers from Erode and Tirupur, another man – Arun Prabakar, of Chennai, had reportedly brought 27 people from Chennai to Kurangani on March 10.
They went to Kolukkumalai and stayed at the hill station in the night. The 39 people then headed towards Kurangani in afternoon the next day, when unfortunately, a devastating fire broke out in the forest.