Margalla Hills fire extinguished after several hours

ISLAMABAD: After several hours of efforts, Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other departments extinguished a large fire that erupted early on Monday near the Saidpur village range on Margalla Hills, ARY News reported.

The bushfire had engulfed a large part of the Margalla Hills National Park. The CDA teams rushed to the spot and were taking measures to extinguish the fire.

Over 75 firefighters from Capital Development Authority were engaged to control and extinguish the fire. The gusts of winds made it difficult to control the fire that started burning at Margalla hills Syedpur Village range at 11:00 in the morning.

CDA said that more teams of firefighters were summoned to extinguish the fire as soon as possible.

To protect the forests of Margalla Hills, Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta, and Kallar Syedan, the authorities have strictly prohibited carrying certain items into the forest areas that could potentially harm the environment.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif commended the swift response and efforts of all the departments concerned and officials in controlling the Margalla Hills fire.

He appreciated the Pakistan Army, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Islamabad Administration, Coordinator Ministry of Climate Change Rumina Khursheed Alam and officers and staff of the ministry for their tireless efforts in extinguishing the fire.

He also expressed gratitude to the Pakistan Army for providing helicopters to extinguish the fire. The prime minister said following his direction, the helicopters of the PM House and 6th Aviation also participated in the firefighting operation which was also worth appreciation.

PM Shehbaz noted that by the grace of Allah Almighty no loss of human life was reported.

He directed the relevant authorities to access the damage caused to the forest and take measures for its restoration. Additionally, he instructed veterinary doctors to provide medical assistance to the injured wildlife.