16 acres of wheat burnt to ashes in Rattoke village fire

Nearly 16 acres of standing wheat crop was burnt to ashes in the border village of Rattoke Havelian during a fire on Thursday. As many as five farmers were affected by the mishap. Victim Ranjit Singh, who lost seven acres worth of wheat, had taken the land on contract for tilling. Farmer Balbir Singh Beeru and Jiona Singh were among the other victims of the fire. A tractor was burnt, while a combine harvester machine, which was operational at the time, was also damaged by the fire.

Upon receiving information, the Khemkaran police reached the spot. However, affected farmers alleged that the fire brigades from Patti and Tarn Taran were late to arrive at the scene. By the time they arrived, the villagers had brought the fire under control by themselves. Sukhjinder Singh, former sarpanch of Rattoke Havelian, said a defect occurred in the combine harvester machine while the crop was being harvested. “The fault triggered a fire and it encircled the nearby crop, causing more than 16 acres wheat to be burnt down,” he added.