The fire that broke out at Daser Bharani area under Sarankhola Range of Sunderbans East Forest Division could not be doused even after 24 hours.

Forest officials and local people said that the fire broke out at about 9:00am on Monday in the deep of forest and fire service and civil defence officials reached there and started efforts to bring the fire under control in the afternoon.

Fire service Sarankhola station officer Abdus Sattar told New Age at about 12:15pm on Tuesday that three fire-fighting units as well as forest officials were working to putting out the fire.

The fire might have started due to the hot weather, he said.

Though the fire service official declined to mention the affected area in the fire in the world’s largest mangrove forest, the forest officials said that the fire covered around half square kilometre of area.

They said that to prevent the fire from spreading in the forest, they had cut fire canals around the fire.

Earlier on 8 February, a fire at Dhansagar station under Chandpai range of the Sunderbans East Division had burnt down at least four decimals of forestland.