Forest fire kills several in southern Turkey

A forest fire has ravaged southern Turkey and has claimed several lives since Wednesday, July 28, 2021. © KAAN SOYTURK / REUTERS

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

A forest fire that broke out on Wednesday reached populated areas near a tourist site in southern Turkey, killing three and evacuating dozens of villages and neighborhoods in Antalya province .

Other provinces of the Mediterranean coast are also in the grip of the flames.

Publicity

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With our correspondent in Istanbul,

Anne Andlauer

" 

The south of the country is in flames

 ", alarmed the Turkish media on their websites.

The first fire broke out on Wednesday July 28 around noon in a forest in the district of Manavgat, in the province of Antalya.

Under the effect of strong winds, it quickly reached the inhabited areas, devastating houses, fields, olive groves, stables.

While hundreds of forest workers, aided by helicopters and a plane, still try to control the fire, seven other southern provinces are in turn affected by forest fires.

In Mugla, a neighboring region of Antalya, the progression of the flames is particularly worrying, again near homes and tourist areas.

A hotel in Bodrum had to be evacuated.

Criminal trail

The Turkish authorities have announced the opening of several investigations.

"

 Those responsible will be held accountable for this attack on our nature and our forest,

 " wrote on Twitter Fahrettin Altun, communications director of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, thus appearing to accredit the criminal track.

This is also the opinion of several mayors of the cities concerned.

That of Marmaris, in Mugla province, judged "

very high

[...]

the probability of sabotage

 ".

Large dark clouds approach tourist complexes while a major fire ravages the district of Manavgat, Thursday, July 29, 2021. Ilyas AKENGIN / AFP

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  • Turkey

  • Environment

  • Natural disasters