Ten firefighters lost their lives today and 14 others were injured while responding to a wildfire in Eskişehir province, central Turkey.
The blaze erupted early in the day, with several personnel initially reported missing during containment efforts.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı later confirmed deaths, identifying five of the victims as employees of the General Directorate of Forestry and five from the AKUT search and rescue organization.
Turkey has been grappling with an intense heatwave in recent weeks, which, coupled with arid and windy conditions, has fueled the rapid spread of wildfires and complicated suppression efforts.
Fires were also reported still ongoing in Karabük, Antalya, İzmir, Manisa, Denizli, and other parts of Eskişehir, with some now under control.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that between Jul 4 and 22, a total of 61 forest fires broke out across 15 provinces. Twenty-three individuals have been detained in connection with the incidents. (VK)
