Forest fires on Islamabad’s Margalla Hills doused after hours-long efforts — official

ISLAMABAD: Authorities have doused forest fires that had erupted on three different locations on Margalla Hills in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, an Islamabad district administration official said on Saturday.
The fires erupted on Friday at two different spots close to the famed Faisal Mosque and the Naval headquarters, as well as near a village within the limits of the neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to authorities.
Several firefighters and army helicopters participated in the hours-long operation to put out the raging flames, according to a spokesperson of the Islamabad district administration.
“The fire on Margalla Hills is controlled and extinguished after hours-long struggle,” Nasir Butt, the Islamabad district administration spokesperson, told Arab News on Saturday, without detailing the cause of the fire.
The Margalla range, part of the Himalayan foothills, has experienced bush fires relatively often in the summer months. There have also been multiple fires during this month, largely attributed to the extreme heat wave affecting the region.
Bush fires erupted at 15 different locations on Margalla Hills on Tuesday, prompting authorities to order a probe to ascertain if they were started deliberately.
On Friday, officials announced the arrest of three people as residents of the city saw plumes of smoke rising from the hills, which stretch along the northern edge of Islamabad.
“We will ensure all those responsible are held accountable,” Muhammad Ali Randhawa, chairman of the Capital Development Authority, said in a social media post.
He said the authorities would protect the beauty of the hills “at any cost.”