Bhopal, April 6 -- A massive fire broke out in a wheat field in Khajurikalan on Saturday afternoon, reducing nearly 15 acres of fully ripened wheat to ashes. The blaze, which erupted around 1:30 pm, destroyed standing crops worth an estimated ?12 lakh and water pipes valued at ?3 lakh.
The fire, suspected to have been triggered by electric wires clashing in high winds, rapidly spread across the dry fields, threatening neighboring plots. Timely action by villagers and the Bhopal Fire Brigade prevented a more extensive disaster.
The affected farmers - Mishrilal Lal Rajput, Kailash Singh Rajput, and Mohan Singh Baghel - were just days away from harvesting their produce. Kabir Singh Rajput, one of the cultivators, said the crop, an improved w...