THENI, TAMIL NADU: Nine of the 39 trekkers trapped in a massive forest fire in southern Tamil Nadu on Sunday have died of burns. Thirty people, mostly students, have been rescued and taken to hospital. Indian Air Force helicopters are searching for more stranded trekkers.

The fire broke out in the Kurangini hills in Theni district, when a group of 25 women and three children was returning from a trek organised by the Chennai Trekking Club to mark Women’s Day. On their way back on Sunday, the group was trapped on a hillock, surrounded by fire.

Many jumped on the boulders below to escape the blaze. A video taken from the hills before sunset on Sunday shows disturbing visuals of some women lying down, unable to move, indicating burn injuries.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman instructed the air force to help in the rescue efforts on a request from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palanisamy. Theni borders Kerala’s Thekkady, home to the famous Periyar National Park.

“Rescue and relief are on a war footing,” said the Chief Minister.

The trekkers, including 27 people from Chennai and a dozen more from Erode and Tirupur, were all returning in smaller groups from their trek to the Kurangani hills. The initial rescue effort was started by locals and forest officials.

Most of the trekker had spent Saturday night at an estate and started to trek down on Sunday.

“30 of the 39 trekkers trapped in the fire on a hillock have been located and being taken to the foothills for treatment,”. A team of Kerala police has also been sent to Theni for the rescue.

“We are carrying all the injured to the foothills to begin treatment at the earliest,” Pallavi Baldev, the District Collector said. A few of those rescued have severe burn injuries and have been moved to government hospitals in Madurai, 75 km away.