Mizoram minister visits jhum fire affected in hospital

Aizawl, Apr 6: Mizoram environment and forests minister Lalrinmawia Ralte today visited Lalduha (66) who sustained serious burns while trying to put out jhum fires on March nine last, an official statement said.

Ralte visited the patient at the Presbyterian Church Hospital in Durtlang near Aizawl along with senior department officials and handed over Rs 50,000 for the expenses of the treatment, the statement said.

Doctors in the hospital said that the 66-year-old from Tlungvel village in Aizawl district had serious burns and some of his fingers might have to be amputated.

Lalduha with his daughter torched their jhum on March nine after taking all the safety measures to ensure that the fire would not spread beyond their jhum.

Strong wind, however, helped the fire to spread and threatened to start a major forest fire prompting him to make all-out efforts to put out the fire even after he lost his dao.

He managed to put out the fire by using tree branches, but was left with serious burns for which he was hospitalised since then.

PTI