Jakarta: Four died, and two suffered severe burns while combating a wildfire in Indonesia’s Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park on Java island, officials said on Friday.
The victims were part of a 12-member firefighting team comprising national park personnel, community fire brigade members and local volunteers. The fire erupted in the Mentigen and Pusung Linker areas of the park in East Java’s Probolinggo area, according to reports by AP via PTI.
Strong winds escalated the fire throughout the dry vegetation zone. An East Java police spokesperson told AP that at about 1.30 pm on Thursday, they received an emergency call from their colleagues, who were already trapped by smoke and fast-approaching flames.
Three dead bodies and three others with severe burns were discovered by rescuers upon reaching the site. One of the injured later died while undergoing treatment. Two volunteers were hospitalised, while six others came out unharmed.
Probolinggo police chief Asmida Rizki Siregar said the remote mountain terrain made the rescue operations difficult. He added that the team had to carry injured people on stretchers for around 2 kilometres as vehicles couldn’t reach the site.
Authorities have launched a probe into the deaths, including whether negligence or any other criminal deed fueled the accident.
As Reuters reports, local NGO Save Our Borneo provided health check-ups and oxygen assistance to locals who were affected by the smoke linked to the deteriorating air quality.
Indonesia is facing severe criticism after months of severe wildfires disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and caused their respiratory health to decline. Even schools have been closed in the neighbouring countries of Malaysia and East Timor.
(With agency inputs from AP/PTI and Reuters)