Wildfires continue in Turkey: fire raging alongside popular tourist destinations Antalya and Mugla, and the death toll has risen to eight. According to AP, residents and tourists flee the danger in small boats, while the Coast Guard and two warships waited at sea in case a larger evacuation is required.
In particular, the authorities asked to continue the evacuation from Turunci, a city in the seaside resort of Marmaris in the Mugla province. Fires engulfed the area and strong winds made it difficult to extinguish them.
Turkish news agency DHA reported that the bodies of a Turkish-German couple were found in their burned-out house in Manavgat, Antalya. Fires also reached a village near the city and residents were evacuated by trucks.
The situation was aggravated by high temperatures and strong winds. Antalya has 42 degrees Celsius (over 107 degrees Fahrenheit), which is 5-6 degrees higher than the season average.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said at least 27 people were affected fires are still being treated in hospitals while hundreds of others have been discharged.
Minister of Forestry and Agriculture Bekir Pakdemirli also tweeted that 111 wildfires across Turkey are now “under control «. According to his tweets, fires have erupted in 33 provinces since Wednesday.
While the Turkish authorities say they are investigating whether the fires may have been «sabotaged» by Kurdish militants, experts mostly point to climate change , as well as accidents as the root cause of fires.
Earlier, Profile magazine reported that the Children of Fire organization, recognized as terrorist in the country, took responsibility for the fires. Children of the Fire allegedly said in a statement that they set fires because the «Turkish regime» does not understand «another language» and it is «time to bring it to its knees with the help of fire.»
