Visuals of forest-fire in Kurangani, Theni. #TamilNadu https://t.co/KwkxgfFMfc — ANI (@ANI) 1520776329000

Responding to the request from the Hon @CMOTamilNadu on the forest -fire related issue -20 students are caught in K… https://t.co/hSzjFZ5Qyx — Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) 1520772738000

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MADURAI: Authorities in Tamil Nadu were engaged in a massive operation on Sunday to rescue 20 students caught in a forest fire at Top Station near Kurangani in Theni district.Theni district administration sought the help of the Indian Air Force at Sulur in Coimbatore district for the safe evacuation of students.Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted that the IAF had been instructed to help the rescue operation. “Responding to the request from the Hon @CMOTamilNadu on the forest -fire related issue -20 students are caught in Kurangani, Theni district. Instructed @IAF_MCC to help in rescue and evacuation. The Southern Command is in touch with the Collector of Theni,” she tweeted.Conservator of forests, Madurai circle, R K Jegania said students from a college in the state were caught in a forest fire around 4pm. One of the students called her father, and he in turn alerted the forest department.“They had not obtained permission for trekking. We have dispatched 40 of our personnel for rescue operation,” he said.Theni district collector Pallavi Baldev ruled out any causality at the moment. “Once the students are safely brought down, further details will be known,” she said.