Vacationers have been evacuated from the beach by rescue boats Turkey After wildfires threatened the hotel in the Aegean resort of Bodrum.
According to Turkish media reports on Saturday, Coast Guard boats along with private boats and yachts take tourists to safety. A video posted online shows people pushing suitcases on the road while smoke from the forest fires is rolling in.
Fires in Turkish Mediterranean towns caused 6 deaths and more than 500 people needed hospitalization. Swept the country Since Wednesday, forests and some settlements have been burnt down, and villages and tourist destinations have been invaded.
A sort of Severe heat wave It has swept through most parts of Southeast Europe, with temperatures rising to over 40 degrees Celsius in some places.
Wildfires also broke out in Greece and Italy. Four villages in the mountains around Patras in western Greece were evacuated, while in Sicily, 150 people were safely evacuated from the sea near Catania.
According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, in Turkey, more than 100 Russian tourists have been evacuated from Bodrum and moved to new hotels. In a video of the Bodrum fire taken from the sea, a man helping to evacuate was stunned by the speed of the fire. He said: “It’s incredible, it’s incredible. How can this fire be within five minutes? Come so fast?”
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said that of the 101 fires that occurred in strong winds and heat, 91 have been brought under control. Communities affected by the fire in five provinces were declared disaster areas.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited some affected areas on Saturday to check the damage caused by the helicopter. He said that the number of firefighting aircraft has increased from 6 to 13, including aircraft from Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran. Thousands of Turkish personnel and dozens of helicopters and drones are providing assistance.
In a speech in Marmaris on Saturday night, Erdogan said that one of the fires was caused by children.
At least five people died in the fire in Manavgat and one in Marmaris. Both towns are Mediterranean tourist destinations.
exist Greece The Civil Defense Bureau sent emergency text messages to urge people in four villages near Patras to leave, but local media reported that some villagers stayed behind and tried to use garden hoses to put out the fire.
Wildfires also affected the provinces of Palermo, Syracuse and Messina in Sicily.
The Italian Civil Defense Department stated that they have received 558 requests from various regions to help extinguish bush and forest fires this season, and that they have received a third in the past week alone. This makes it the fourth worst fire season since 2007.
