BARIPADA: The Similipal forest fire has claimed the first life. And it was a temporary fire squad member who suffered burn injuries on duty and was admitted to Karanjia Hospital where he succumbed on Wednesday. Twenty-six year old fire fighter Bira Kishore Singh, engaged at a daily wage of Rs 308, was appointed for three months. He was a native of Chadripahadi village under Jashipur Police Station.
Bira Kishore suffered the burn injuries on Tuesday and was hospitalised in a critical condition. He succumbed on Wednesday. Autopsy was conducted on Thursday morning and body was handed over to the deceased’s family. The death led to furore as activists of Bhanja Sena locked the main gate of the office of Similipal Tiger Reserve-cum-Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF) at Baripada alleging that the squad member was not provided fire protection kit.
Staging dharna in front of the STR office from 9.30 am to 11.30 am, members of the outfit slammed the Forest department for its indifference towards safety of the temporary fire squad members. “Though protection kits for fire squad members are mandatory, many of them have not received the same and continue to put out fires in forests in Similipal National Park.
When many of them demanded the kits, department officials assured them of the same but in vain. Had Bira Kishore received the same, he would have survived,” said Rakesh Singh, working chairman of Bhanja Sena. The outfit demanded that ` 10 lakh be paid as compensation to kin of the deceased while protection kits supplied to each member of the fire squads engaged in fire-fighting in the national park.
With the entrance locked by the outfit and no staff allowed inside, RCCF and Deputy Director did not come to office. RCCF M Yogajayanand could not be contacted as his mobile phone was switched off.
The agitators said, if the department does not provide compensation to deceased’s family and supply fire protection kits to squad members, they would intensify the agitation.