While the parents of the 10 deceased persons are grieving their deaths, the founder of the Chennai Trekking Club Peter Van Geit is still untraceable. The Forest Department has maintained that the trekkers did not have permission for the climb.
Madurai:
Pall of gloom descended on Theni Government Hospital as parents, who lost their children in Theni forest fire, screamed and cried on seeing the bodies of their children, on Sunday.
After the bodies of nine bodies were airlifted from forest they were taken to Theni GH for postmortem examination and then were handed over to the parents. When the bodies were transferred from helicopter to the mortuary, parents cried saying the names of their children and the sight moved the entire crowd, including the policemen stationed for security.
One of the deceased is Vivek, from Erode, was newly-wed. His father Natarajan, said that Vivek worked as an engineer in Dubai and got recently married to Divya. He returned to India to celebrate the 100 th day of his marriage.
As part of celebration, the couple went for the trekking but got caught in the fire. While Vivek is dead, Divya is battling for life, said Natarajan. Divya’s condition is also critical as she had sustained 100 percentage burns and is undergoing treatment in Madurai GRH.
Similarly, mother of another girl named Dhivya of Chennai, who couldn’t believe her daughter is no more, said Dhivya was given all freedom and they bought her whatever they wished.
Selvaraj, father of another deceased Subha, blamed the company in which she was working. He said that Subha informed him that the trekking event was organised by her company, after which he allowed her.
Thangaraj, father of injured Tamil Selvan, working in a tyre company in Chennai, said that his son had informed him that he would be going for along with his friends. However, the consoling part is that his son suffered burns when he tried to save others.
(Indian Air Force helicopters used in the Theni fire rescue operations on Sunday)
TREKKERS DELIGHT KURANGANI IN TAMIL NADU TURNS A DEATH TRAP
- It roughly takes about four to five hours to complete the trek from Kurangani village, which is at the foothill, to reach the Top Station.
- Meanwhile, two-and-ahalf hours are enough for the return trip.
- The hill ranges, with a peak altitude of around 8,000 metres, have several trekking trails to destination like meeshapulimala, top station and rhodo valley.
- Kurangani Hills is located over 500 kms from state capital Chennai and about 30 km from Theni.
- Nestled atop the Western Ghats, Kurangani Hill ranges is a nature lover’s paradise albeit not as popular as Kodaikanal or Ooty.
- With its, waterfalls, caves and rock crevices, diverse flora and fauna, tea, coffee and cardamom estates Kurangani dotted by remote tribal hamlets is truly a paradise for trekkers.
- It is known for its quickly changing weather, and strong winds.
- Nearby Kolukkumalai hills is stated to be the home to highest tea estate in the world located at an altitude close to 8,000 feet.
- Bordering Kerala, Theni district, surrounded by the Western Ghats, is home to about 35,481 hectares of reserve and 31,094 of unclassified forest.
- Several Tamil films including Myna and Kumki were shot on the Kurangani hills.
- The common animals that inhabit this mountainous area are Nillgiri langur, lion tailed macaque, common monkeys, and panthers. They are found in the Central and Top Station areas.