Around 10 acres of forest land in the Shilubepura forest range of Kollegal taluk in Chamarajanagar district were gutted in a fire on Thursday, with forest officials suspecting that the blaze may have been deliberately set following the recent action in which three poachers were killed in self-defence by Forest Department staff after they came under fire from the hunters.Officials suspect that the fire could have been a retaliatory act aimed at creating fear among forest department personnel and disrupting anti-poaching operations in the region.

The blaze was reported in the Shilubepura forest area, where anti-poaching camps were also allegedly targeted. The incident comes days after forest department personnel allegedly shot dead three suspected poachers during an encounter in the Hanur forest range.

The encounter has triggered demands from the Opposition and local groups for an impartial investigation into the deaths.Forest officials are examining whether the fire and the attacks on anti-poaching camps are linked to the operation. They are also investigating the possibility that the incidents were intended to intimidate forest personnel and disrupt anti-poaching operations.The incident has raised further concerns after gelatin explosives were allegedly used to target anti-poaching camps (APCs) in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary following the killing of the three suspected poachers.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government is considering stringent measures to curb poaching activities in the region. The Forest Department has collected data on wildlife hunting cases dating back to 2011, with more than 3,200 poaching cases reportedly registered during the period.

The department is planning decisive action against those involved in poaching, officials said.

Following the operation, the Forest Department has reportedly gathered information about a large network of poachers operating in Hanur and surrounding areas along the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.

According to the information gathered by the department, poaching gangs allegedly supply wildlife meat and skins based on demand, with orders reportedly coming from Bengaluru and other metropolitan cities across the country.

The attacks on anti-poaching camps and the torching of forest areas are suspected to be attempts to instil fear among forest personnel and disrupt anti-poaching operations.

The government is considering stringent measures against the poaching network even as the magisterial enquiry report into the Forest Department action that resulted in the deaths of three suspected poachers is expected to be submitted by August 24.

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has also initiated an investigation into the action, which the Forest Department stated was conducted in self-defence as the poachers hid behind a boulder and fired at them.

Further details regarding the cause of the fire and the suspected involvement of individuals are awaited as the investigations continue.

Kolkata: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kolkata Police probing the fire incident at a multi-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street in Central Kolkata, which claimed nine lives, has arrested one person, said officials on Thursday.

Each floor of the said building had separate hotels or guesthouses, and the source of the fire was one such hotel, “Shikha Inn”. The person arrested by the city police this morning has been identified as Abu Zafar, who had taken the hotel on lease from the original owner, Bireshwar Mitra.

Zafar was arrested from his residence in Jorasanko, North Kolkata. He will be presented at a city court later in the day, and the public prosecutor will seek his police custody.

Mitra, the original owner of the hotel, is still absconding. Besides arresting Zafra, the members of the SIT have detained two other persons, reportedly staff of the hotel, for questioning. However, the city police are yet to disclose their identities.

The State Fire Services Department has issued show-cause notices to nine other hotels and four restaurants on Mirza Ghalib Street for non-compliance with safety regulations. They have been asked to respond within the next 24 hours.

The five-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street housed multiple hotels and guesthouses, with each having shacks. Hotel ‘Shikha Inn’ was on the third floor of the same building, covering an area of ​​1,100 square feet.

There had been numerous allegations of irregularities at this hotel. The hotel caught fire late Tuesday night. Nine people lost their lives in the fire.

The West Bengal government has announced a detailed special audit of all hotels, lodges and guesthouses in the Mirza Ghalib Street area following the incident.

The New Market Police Station, under whose jurisdiction the building falls, has registered a suo motu case. The State Fire Services Department has also lodged a separate complaint.

Bogota, Aug 19: The death toll from the recent magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia has risen to 312, with 4,611 people injured and 290 missing, according to the local authorities.

The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management reported that the quake had affected 470 municipalities in 15 departments, adding that 277 buildings had collapsed, while close to 30,000 homes were destroyed and over 134,000 others damaged.

National and international search-and-rescue teams continued combing through the rubble to locate the missing people, with 358 people reportedly rescued so far.

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry said more than 220 tonnes of humanitarian aid had arrived in the country and 144 international specialists had joined emergency response efforts, Xinhua news agency reported.

Many affected residents remained in temporary shelters and tents in parks in the hardest-hit areas of Valle del Cauca, Risaralda and Choco.

Last week, India sent the first tranche of 20 metric tonnes of relief supplies to Colombia to support recovery efforts following the devastating earthquake that had rocked the country.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar had expressed India’s solidarity with the people of Colombia during these difficult times.

“Dispatched the first tranche of the 20 MT relief supplies to Colombia to support ongoing post-earthquake recovery efforts. The assistance includes medicines and medical equipment, temporary shelter and hygiene support, and other essential items needed in the aftermath of the disaster. India stands in solidarity with the people of Colombia during these difficult times,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

The assistance underscores India’s role as a first responder during global natural disasters. India sent the assistance after an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck Colombia on August 10, killing hundreds of people and injuring nearly four thousand with many missing.

The earthquake had struck Western Colombia at 7:34 am (local time), according to the Colombian Geological Service. The epicentre of the earthquake was near San Jose del Palmar and occurred at a depth of 96 kilometres.

As many as 44,936 families and 102,105 people in 15 departments and 426 municipalities have been impacted by the earthquake in Colombia, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said. It further stated that 10,677 homes had been destroyed while 65,841 others have been damaged by the earthquake.