More than a thousand people evacuated due to a forest fire in southern Turkey

Sep. 8 () –

Turkey’s rescue teams have evacuated more than a thousand people since Wednesday due to a forest fire registered in the province of Mersin, in the south of the country, with no fatalities confirmed at the moment, according to indicated the Presidency of Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD).

The agency has indicated in a statement published on its website that 1,025 people have been transferred to safe areas from the Gulnar and Silifke districts and has added that 250 members of the Gendarmerie are carrying out security and evacuation studies in these areas.

Likewise, he has stated that 29 helicopters, eleven planes, 138 fire trucks and 850 members of various agencies have been deployed in the area, while he has highlighted that at least seven of the 24 people affected by the fires continue to be admitted to hospitals.

The AFAD has also detailed that the highway that connects Mersin with Antalya has been cut as a preventive measure and to facilitate firefighting tasks. Turkey has recorded several serious fires in recent months, including several in the summer of 2021 that destroyed thousands of hectares of forest in various parts of the country.