At least five dead in forest fires in southeastern Turkey | News

A fire on farmland was spread by the wind to nearby villages. It is one of several fires that have hit the country this week.

At least five people were killed and dozens injured as forest fires raged in several villages in southeastern Turkey, ministers said.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca reported the deaths in the night-time fire between the cities of Diyarbakir and Mardin on Friday. 44 people were injured, ten of them in serious condition, he said on X.

The fire started with the burning of field stubble. Fanned by the wind, it quickly spread through the villages of Koksalan, Yazcicegi and Bagacik.

Images posted on social media showed a massive fire lighting up the night sky and emitting huge clouds of smoke.

Four emergency teams and 35 ambulances were sent to the scene. According to Diyarbakir Governor Ali Ihsan Su, firefighters managed to bring the fire under control by Friday.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the fire broke out late Thursday in an area 30 kilometers south of Diyabakir and spread quickly due to strong winds, affecting five villages.

Meanwhile, firefighters across the country in northwestern Turkey were battling to bring a forest fire under control near the town of Ayvacik in Canakkale province, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Although no one was injured, authorities evacuated the small village of Camkoy as a precaution, the agency reported.

It was one of several forest fires that broke out in the Canakkale province last week amid strong winds and scorching summer temperatures.