Tragic Wildfires in Turkiye: First Fatality Confirmed
An elderly man was found dead from smoke inhalation after a wildfire in western Turkiye. Firefighters continue battling blazes that have caused evacuations and highway closures. Hundreds of fires, spurred by harsh weather, have occurred nationwide, leading to tens of thousands being evacuated as the fires rage on.
- Country:
- Turkey
Tragedy struck in western Turkiye on Thursday when firefighters discovered the body of an elderly man after extinguishing a wildfire near a village. The 81-year-old man, identified as the first fatality in a series of nationwide wildfires, succumbed to smoke inhalation, according to Suleyman Elban, the governor of Izmir province.
In response, security forces and emergency teams swiftly evacuated 37 other villagers from the affected area. Meanwhile, a separate inferno in the Aegean coastal town of Cesme prompted the deployment of hundreds of firefighters, helicopters, and aircraft to tackle the blaze. The fire, ignited on Wednesday, forced evacuations of three neighborhoods and temporarily closed roads.
Governor Elban revealed that the wildfires in the province are suspected to have been started by electrical lines, which ignited dry grass and spread rapidly due to wind. Over the past week, Turkiye has confronted hundreds of fires triggered by strong winds, scorching heat, and low humidity, causing massive evacuations across the nation.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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