20250314 Fire breaks out at Mookkunnimala, arson suspected
India Mar 14 2025 “Forest”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Fire breaks out at Mookkunnimala, arson suspected
Updated: 2025-03-14
Thiruvananthapuram: A massive fire broke out at Mookkunnimala, near Nemom, on Thursday, destroying acres of forest.
The fire was first spotted near a residential area under the Pallichal panchayat, raising concerns among the local people.
While the blaze spread rapidly across three sides of the hill, the fire and rescue services intervened in time to prevent it from reaching homes.
However, the authorities suspect it could be a case of arson as the fire was reported three times near an abandoned quarry, on Thursday itself.
Officials are investigating whether any anti-social elements were responsible for the fire, as empty liquor bottles were found in the area.
Firefighters from Kattakada worked for over an hour to bring the situation under control.
Due to the hilly terrain, fire engines struggled to reach the location, forcing the team to adopt alternative firefighting methods. Though no casualties were reported, environmentalists fear that the fire may have caused significant damage to local wildlife and vegetation.
Authorities have urged the public to report any suspicious activities in the area to prevent further incidents.
An investigation is underway to identify those responsible for the fire, the authorities said.
In 2017 a major fire broke out at the Mookkunnimala. The incident caused significant damage to the area. As the fire engines were unable to reach the destination due to the difficult terrain, a team of Indian Air Force personnel was deployed to assist the operation.
The fire was extinguished using over 80,000 litres of water sourced from Vellayani Lake.
Web Source The Times of India