Nine Planes, 21 Helicopters, 375 People Dispatched To Fight Wildfire In Turkey - Minister

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2023) Nine planes, 21 helicopters and 375 people are involved in extinguishing a wildfire in the Belen district of Turkey's Hatay province, Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli said on Sunday.

"Nine airplanes, 21 helicopters, 59 ground vehicles and 375 personnel were dispatched to extinguish the forest fire in the Hatay Belen area. The effective intervention of our teams from the air and ground continues uninterruptedly," the minister was quoted as saying by Star daily.

All residents of the area have been evacuated, Hatay's Governor Mustafa Masatli told the Anadolu news agency.

"Our air and ground teams are involved in fighting a forest fire in the Sogukoluk district, and we have also requested support from neighboring provinces. We have evacuated our citizens from communities in the area," Masatli said.

Forest fires broke out in several parts of Turkey, which the authorities promptly dispatched air and ground teams to extinguish.