A wildfire killed at least 10 forestry workers and rescue team members on Wednesday who were attempting to douse the flames near Eskişehir in central Turkey, the authorities said.
Agriculture Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said the fire killed five forestry workers and five members of a rescue team. Local lawmaker Nebi Hatipoğlu and news website BirGün had earlier said 11 had died.
High temperatures and strong winds have fanned the wildfire between İstanbul and the capital Ankara since Tuesday morning, with the spread threatening homes and forcing the evacuation of several villages.
The victims were caught off guard when the flames suddenly changed direction, causing them to be “burnt alive,” according to BirGün.
Twenty-four workers were caught in the sudden spread of the flames, 14 of whom were being treated at a hospital, Minister Yumaklı told broadcasters on Wednesday evening.
“Unfortunately, we have lost five forest workers and five [rescuers],” he added.
Hatipoğlu, a deputy from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), wrote on X there were “no words to describe our grief.”
In a village where flames quickly rose above human height, five helicopters, along with numerous fire trucks and firefighting teams, intervened in the blaze, local media reported.
Turkey has been sweltering since Sunday under temperatures between six to 12 degrees Celsius above the seasonal norms and several fires have been declared.
Scientists have long warned that burning fossil fuels is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves more likely and more intense.
© Agence France-Presse