Three persons were killed in a forest fire that broke out from the south of Turkey on Thursday. Almost 60 fires have erupted in 17 Turkish cities. The fire started in Manavgat, Antalya, on Wednesday. The strange timings of the fire have frightened residents, who believe that it was an arson assault.
Many settlements, as well as a few hotels, were evacuated. Firefighters on the ground and in helicopters battled a blaze in Manavgat, 75 kilometers (45 miles) east of the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, while television video showed burnt buildings and people fleeing across fields.
The fire began in the woodland and quickly spread to residential areas. Strong winds in hot weather forced the evacuation of 18 villages and districts in Antalya, as well as 16 others in the neighboring provinces of Adana and Mersin.
At least 112 persons were affected by the flames, according to the Turkish government’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, with 58 of them being hospitalized, largely for smoke inhalation and burns. The fire is being controlled with the efforts of the following:
- 1832 personel
- 3 planes
- 29 Helicopters
- 458 water tenders
Turkish citizens took to social media to accuse the PKK terrorist group in light of the fires across the country. The PKK has a long history of setting fire to Turkey’s forests as a form of vengeance against the Turkish government, resulting in civilian deaths and environmental harm.
People are sharing pictures of Turkey’s Forrest fire on Twitter. The hashtag #prayforturkey is trending on Twitter so people can collectively come together in support of Turkey.
