ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Firefighters battled to extinguish a wildfire in southern Turkey for a second day on Thursday and more than 1,000 people were evacuated from homes and hotels, the emergency authority said.
Twenty-nine helicopters and 11 planes were involved in tackling the blaze that started in Gulnar district of the Mediterranean province of Mersin, Turkey’s Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) said.
The firefighting effort also involved about 850 personnel and more than 140 vehicles, AFAD said, adding seven people affected by the fire were being treated in nearby hospitals.
Electricity was cut in some districts as a precaution to protect firefighting personnel during the operation, AFAD also said.
(Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Edmund Blair)
