Theni fire toll rises to 17, five more trekkers critical

In the past week, eight persons, who had suffered burns in the forest fire, have died. 

Sathish Kumar (29) had sustained 70 per cent burns and was initially admitted in the Theni government hospital but was shifted to a private hospital here where he was undergoing treatment. 

Five of the survivors of the blaze with over 50 per cent burns were still critical and were undergoing treatment in various hospitals.

Those critical include Sivasankari of Udumalaipettai in Tirupur district with 50 per cent burns, Swetha of Chennai with 65 per cent burns, Sai Vasumathi of Thanjavur with 56 per cent burns, Jeyashree of Chennai with 70 per cent burns and Barghavi also of Chennai with 75 per cent burns. 

Of the five, Jeyashree was shifted to a private hospital in Coimbatore, which is famous for treating burns, and Barghavi to a private hospital in Chennai. 

The remaining survivors, Nivya Nikruthi of Chennai, and Menu George of Kottayam in Kerala, were undergoing treatment in a private hospital here. They had suffered 40 per cent and 35 per cent burns respectively and were considered out of danger. 

The massive forest fire occurred on March 11. Two teams of 36 trekkers, one from Chennai, and another from Erode, had gone to trek at Kozhukumalai in Kurangani hills, near Bodinayakkanur in Theni district, when they were caught in the fire raging in the forest for one week. 

Though rescue operations were carried out immediately, only 10 trekkers could be saved without injuries and the remaining 26 sustained burns of various degrees. However, nine trekkers had died on the spot and the remaining 17 were admitted in hospitals.