Fourteen people died in a forest fire on March 26 in Cikha, Sub-township of Tonzang Township, Chin state in western Burma.

Twenty villagers from Suangdem in Cikha Township had gone hunting in the forest. They were caught in a forest fire and most could not escape. Fourteen died in the fire.

The irony is that the fire was started by the villagers to drive out animals from the forest while some waited to shoot the fleeing animals. Fourteen persons were trapped in the fire and could not escape.

“It is very sad to hear that 14 people were killed in the fire and we could not help them as the forest fire was fierce and there was thick smoke around us,” a local told Khonumthung News.

Traditionally Chin people are used to hunting animals in summer after setting fire to the forests since the time of their ancestors.

Similarly, one person was killed in Selbung village in Cikha Township on March 25 and many houses in Hakha, Falam, Tidim, Cikha and Matupi townships were also destroyed because of forest fires.-