Wildfires rage in Turkey for third day
Fires have swept through the provinces of Sakarya, Bilecik, Manisa, Hatay and Izmir – where tens of thousands were relocated to safe areas, according to Turkey's disaster management agency.
Firefighters are battling to contain the flames, which have been fuelled by winds reaching 40-50kph, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said.
According to Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu, 46 Turkish citizens are being treated in hospital, with one person critically injured. 'Firefighting efforts are continuing tirelessly in response to the fires,' he said in a post on X.
'I pray to God for a speedy recovery for all our injured.'
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a cabinet meeting that the fires were being tackled by 'our fleet of 27 aeroplanes, 105 helicopters, 14 UAVs, nearly 6,000 tenders, and 25,000 forest heroes'.
Turkey's coastal regions have in recent years been ravaged by wildfires due to hotter and drier summers, which scientists attribute to climate change.
Footage on social media showed hills covered in thick smoke and trees ablaze as helicopters above released water in an attempt to extinguish the flames.
It comes amid a heatwave throughout Mediterranean and other parts of Europe.
Health alerts have been issued in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Germany. Even the Netherlands, typically associated with a milder climate, has issued warnings about high temperatures and high humidity over the coming days.
Fires have also been spreading through Syria's Latakia province, where Minister of Disaster Management and Emergency Response Raed Al Saleh was inspecting the damage on Tuesday.
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