Daily Lankadeepa E-Paper

Turkey evacuates tourists at risk from fires as villages clear out

ISTANBUL (DPA), 1 AUG, 2021 -

Thousands of emergency forces were battling severe forest fires in Turkey for a fifth day running on Sunday.

On Saturday night, several villages in the Aegean region of Bodrum, a popular holiday destination, were evacuated, according to Mayor Ahmet Aras.

People were brought to safety, sometimes using boats to cross, he said.

One hundred Russian tourists were also brought to safety from an eastern suburb of Bodrum, the Russian Consulate General said. They have been relocated to new hotels and were out of danger.

Another village in the province of Antalya also had to be evacuated on Sunday, as the broadcaster NTV reported. Turkey has since Wednesday been battling the worst forest fires in years.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli said on Sunday that five of the original 100 fires were still active. Strong winds kept fuelling the flames and hampering the firefighting efforts.

According to official figures, the fires have claimed at least six lives so far and injured hundreds.

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2021-08-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-08-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://dailylankadeepa.pressreader.com/article/281689732855434

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