Couple dies while trying to extinguish forest fire

ALPURI: A man and his wife lost their lives while trying to extinguish a forest fire near their home in Hashimkhel Dab village in the Martung tehsil of Shangla district on Wednesday.

Local sources said a fire broke out in the forests due to unknown reasons and rapidly spread toward nearby residential areas. One of the houses caught in the blaze belonged to Hakeem Zada. In a bid to protect their home and prevent the fire from spreading further, Hakeem Zada and his wife, Hajiron, tried to douse the flames. Tragically, both were caught in the fire and died on the spot after sustaining severe burn injuries.

The political and social figures across the district have expressed deep sorrow and extended condolences to the grieving family. They stressed the need for takingpreventive measures, emergency response planning and public awareness to deal with forest fires, which were becoming increasingly frequent in the region.