Jammu, 11 June (H.S.): A 68-year-old man was burnt to death while trying to control a forest fire in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday.

Abdul Aziz, a retired government teacher hailing from Panda Khetar village of Dalyote panchayat, voluntarily joined a team of forest officials to extinguish fire in Garn forest in Kalakote sub-division on Tuesday, the officials said.

While the forest fire was controlled to a large extent by late evening, Aziz went deep to oversee the situation when he found himself trapped with winds igniting the fire again, they said.

They said despite efforts, he could not be saved and died on the spot .His charred body was later retrieved and handed over to his family for last rites after completion of legal formalities, the official said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar