Turkey wildlife rages on: 3 dead, 58 hospitalized and hundreds evacuated

At least 3 people died and dozens more were hospitalised in southern Turkey as the strong winds fanned wildfire in the forest area near Manavgat, the Mediterranean coastal town in the south of the country. 122 people had been impacted by the fires and that 58 were receiving treatment, disaster management unit, AFAD informed. Turkish authorities have also evacuated homes in four neighborhoods on July 28, Wednesday as the wildfire raged through the forest in the east of the resort country of Antalya, and nearby villages.

Rescue missions

Among the three dead, one of them was an 82-year-old man who was discovered during evacuation of the Kepezbeleni district some 16km northeast of Manavgat, Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli told the local media on Thursday. Two others were found dead in the Degirmenli district of Antalya, some 20 km (12.5 miles) east of Manavgat, he added. Talking about the evacuation and rescue missions, Pakdemirli informed, patients from the service state Hospital in Manavgat were being evacuated to another hospital as a precaution. Additionally, a group of 10 people was rescued after being stranded on a boat at the nearby Oymapinar dam.

The rescue missions continued as the country's disaster management unit, AFAD, made efforts to douse the raging flames. According to the weather department, the dry weather was fuelled by the strong winds, which has made it difficult to contain the fire. As many as  19 helicopters, a firefighting plane, a drone, some 250 vehicles, and 960 personnel are a part of efforts to control the blaze in two adjacent forests in southern Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkey's Red Crescent sent staff and food supplies to the region.

"Houses located in areas that could be impacted by the fire have been evacuated. Several homes, offices, farms, agricultural fields, greenhouses, and vehicles have been damaged by fire," AFAD said in a statement.

Authorities have evacuated around 18 villages and districts in Antalya that were affected by plumes of smoke that billowed out of the burning landscape. About 16 more villages were evacuated in the neighbouring provinces of Adana and Mersin. AFAD has also made incessant efforts to extinguish two separate wildfires, Pakdemirli said. Local media broadcasted footage that showed charred residential buildings and people escaping the smoke and burnt landmass while firefighters backed by helicopters struggled to extinguish the wildfires.

Summer heat causes frequent wildfires

Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast is a popular destination for both local and foreign tourists. It is known for its scorching summer heat, which often causes wildfires. Turkish officials have said the latest fires are the biggest to date among the 41 wildfires in 13 of Turkey's 81 provinces since Tuesday. The current wildlife has blazed since Tuesday including the ones at Osmaniye and Kayseri.

(Image input: @OguzzKayaaOK/Twitter)