Theni forest fire: 9 dead, Kerala bans trekking, probe ordered; top updates

A massive forest fire, which started on Saturday in Tamil Nadu's Theni, has claimed nine lives so far and seriously injured another 11 of the 36 trekkers that had gone mountain trekking in Kurangani hills in Bodi foothills. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday ordered a probe into the incident. Speaking of stepped up rescue operations, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said an advanced light helicopter had been sent to save those trapped in the forest fire.

Twenty-seven people have been rescued so far by the fire and forest departments, along with Indian Air Force’s (IAF's) aid — 11 of them is admitted to hospitals in Madurai and Erode after suffering serious burns. The defence ministry swung into full force by fielding 16 commandos of the Garud Commando Force and four choppers from the Indian Air Force to fasten the rescue operation of those stuck in Kurangani forest fire in Theni district.

Part of International Women’s Day celebrations, the mountain-climbing adventure trip included two groups of 24 trekkers from Chennai Trekking Club and 12 from Erode and Tiruppur, said District Collector Pallavi Baldev. Palaniswami said the trekking expedition had been done without getting the necessary permission from the Forest Department.

Modi shuffles Cabinet: Sitharaman new defence minister; Goyal gets railways

Nirmala Sitharaman was on Sunday promoted and appointed as India's Defence Minister in a surprise move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who elevated three others to the Cabinet and brought in nine new faces, including four former bureaucrats, in a reshuffle-cum-expansion of his ministry based on performance.

Power Minister Piyush Goyal, also promoted from Minister of State with independent charge to the Cabinet, got the railways portfolio, from which Suresh Prabhu was shifted to Commerce and Industry that was with Sitharaman. Prabhu had offered to quit after a major rail accident in Uttar Pradesh claimed 23 lives last month.

The promoted ministers and the new faces were administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a 35-minute ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, attended among others by new Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and family members of some of the new ministers.

Sitharaman became the second woman to head the Defence Ministry after Indira Gandhi when she was Prime Minister. The Defence Ministry was with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
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