Further evacuations and rising death toll in Turkey wildfires | Abroad

Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said 107 of the 112 fires have now been extinguished. However, he says the strong winds are making it difficult to put out the last five, which are raging near the popular resorts of Bodrum and Marmaris and the town of Manavgat, in the neighboring province of Antalya.

The flight of a thousand

Bodrum Mayor Ahmet Aras said 1,100 people had been evacuated by boats in his city as the fire threatened the neighborhoods where they lived. According to him, the roads were cut off by the fire. In the night from Saturday to Sunday, villages and spas around Bodrum were also evacuated.

In Marmaris, the Turkish navy deployed landing craft to take people to safety. Residents of the village of Sirtkoy have been evacuated near Manavgat, according to television channel NTV. Television images showed how thick clouds of smoke surrounded the village.

firefighting planes

The wildfires are the worst in years. According to official data, nearly 95,000 hectares of forest have already been reduced to ashes this year. On average, 13,516 hectares have burned down every year since 2008.

Thousands of firefighters are working to fight the fire. Drones and 45 fire fighting helicopters are also being deployed. However, the Turkish government has been criticized for not having fire-fighting planes that can spread more water over a wider area. Russia, Iran and Ukraine are now helping with 16 fire-fighting planes.

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