Jammu Tawi, May 26 -- A major forest fire broke out in the Nowshera belt of Rajouri district on Monday, causing extensive damage to large tracts of forest land, officials said.
The blaze erupted under mysterious circumstances and quickly spread to several areas in the Nowshera region, fanned by dry vegetation and prevailing weather conditions, they added.
Soon after receiving information about the incident, teams of the Forest Department, Jammu and Kashmir Fire and Emergency Services, and local volunteers launched a massive operation to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further.
A video circulating on social media showed vast stretches of forest engulfed in flames, while the distress calls of hundreds of birds, including pea...