Dharamshala, June 11 -- More than 300 people were rescued after a forest fire surrounded a hilltop temple in the Nagrota Bagwan area of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening during an event at Naina Devi temple which is in the Patiyalkar area of Nagrota Bagwan and surrounded by dense forest on all sides, officials said.

"A forest fire encircled the temple, trapping around 350 people. A major blaze also broke out along the access road, affecting a stretch of about three kilometres. With the help of the fire brigade, the fire along the roadside was brought under control first to enable the evacuation of people by vehicle. Everyone was subsequently evacuated safely," said ...