Chennai, Mar 12 (IBNS): At least nine trekkers, who were trapped in a forest fire in Kurangini hills of Tamil Nadu, have died, media reports said on Monday.
39 people were trapped in the forest fire on Sunday.
Out of them, 30 people have been rescued and taken to hospital.
Operation is going on to rescue the missing people.
After request from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palanisamy, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman directed the Indian Air Force to join the rescue operation on Sunday night.
"30 of the 39 trekkers trapped in the fire on a hillock have been located and being taken to the foothills for treatment," a senior police office in the region, Baskaran, told NDTV.
The identities of the deceased is not known so far.
Sources in the police and forest departments told The Hindu the identities of the deceased could not be established since the bodies were charred beyond recognition.
The group reportedly did not take permission from the police or the forest department for trekking.
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