Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, Feb 18: Rubber, coconut and other trees in over hundred acres of land in Pilathabettu, Kavala Moodoor, Panjikallu, Kolnadu and Bimooda villages were destroyed in a massive fire here on Thursday, February 18.

Rubber, coconut and cashew cultivation on a land belonging to Joachim near Moorje and Radhakrishna Rao in Kumangila Rathnagiri have turned to ashes. The trees belonging to Tomi in Kavala Moodooru grama Majalu, Joi in Pilikudelu, Panjadi Govardhana Shetty, Agarthyaru Srinivas Nayak and Nelligudde Shantaram Acharya, Muchilodi Suryahasa Acharya in nearly twenty acres were destroyed.

The fire erupted all of a sudden near Chikkayyana Math and near Goodinabali and the trees and shrubs got burnt there causing fear and anxiety.

Fire was also seen in Majalu, Pilikudelu, Panjadi, Agarthyaru in the morning unexpectedly at about 11 am and spread to nearby places. Thick smoke enveloped Nelligudde and Muchalodi areas. Fire brigades from Bantwal, Mangaluru, Belhangady and Puttur rushed to the spots.

Meanwhile fire was seen in the hills of Kolnadu, Balakada Gudde, Chikkayyana Math and hills near Goodinabali in the afternoon. As fire brigade from Bantwal was not available, fire tenders from Puttur arrived but most of the area was turned to ashes by then.

As there are houses near Bimooda, locals tried to extinguish the fire, but the intensity of the flames kept increasing. Police from Bantwal town, Bantwal rural and Punjalkatte arrived at the spot and inspected.