Local media report a tragic incident in which 24 firefighters and rescuers were trapped by a wildfire, with victims suffering a fateful ‘burned alive’.
Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumakli, reported on Wednesday that five forestry workers and five rescuers were killed when 24 individuals were caught in the wildfire. Shifting winds caused by the blaze led to the fire enveloping the group, who were rushed to the hospital. Ten did not survive.
Additionally, 14 others are under medical treatment, the minister stated.
“Unfortunately, we’ve lost five forest workers and five [rescuers],” Yumakli said in an interview with Turkish television.
Turkish news website BirGun cited that those trapped were “burned alive”.
Local lawmaker Nebi Hatipoglu expressed his sorrow, stating, “There are no words to describe our grief”.
Turkiye has experienced escalating temperatures and robust winds since Sunday, fueling wildfires between Istanbul and the capital, Ankara. These fires threaten homes and necessitate the evacuation of villages.
Minister Yumakli noted that extreme heat and unpredictable wind conditions are expected to persist on Thursday.
“Starting tomorrow, expectations are for extraordinarily high temperatures and extreme wind shifts. I implore all 86 million citizens to remain vigilant and exceptionally cautious,” he appealed.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan honored the lives of those who fought to protect the forests at the cost of their lives.
“I pray for God’s mercy on our brothers and sisters who gave their lives to protect our forests and offer my condolences to their families and our nation,” Erdogan conveyed through social media.
Two prosecutors have been appointed to investigate the incident, as per the justice minister.
This raises the total number of wildfire-related deaths in Turkiye to 13 for the year.
Earlier in the month, an elderly man and two forestry workers perished in a wildfire near Odemis, in the Izmir province.
