NAROWAL: Wheat crop worth Rs20 million cultivated over 150 acres of land was burnt in a fire at Isa Thatta Bhatti village, Sheikhupura.

As per a Rescue 1122 spokesman, on receiving an emergency phone call about the fire in a wheat field, firefighters reached the spot and started efforts to extinguish the blaze. He said that as per locals, the fire suddenly erupted and because of strong winds, rapidly spread in the fields.

He said the Rescue 1122 firefighters, with the help of locals, controlled the fire after hectic efforts, adding that the cause of the fire could not be ascertained so far.

Affected farmers Naeem and Naveed Haider said that around 6,750 maunds (40kg) of wheat crop cultivated over 150acres had been reduced to ashes, causing a loss of around Rs20m to them.

Another affected farmer, Mohammad Aslam, said he had cultivated the wheat crop by borrowing money and inputs from the local grain market and he did not know how to repay the loan now. Locals demanded Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to provide financial compensation to the affected farmers so that they could cultivate the next crop.

ANIMALS BURNT: Three goats and a buffalo were burnt alive in a fire erupting in a cattle shed on Monday.

A Rescue 1122 spokesman said that at Ghazi Kai village of Narang Mandi, children made a fire that suddenly engulfed a cattle shed. As a result, three goats and a buffalo were burnt in the incident.

He said Rescue 1122 teams reaching the spot controlled the fire and rescued some other animals in the shed with the help of locals.

The spokesman said that a team of vets also arrived at the scene and provided first aid to other animals suffering burns in the blaze. Correspondent