A fire that apparently started in crop stubble spread through settlements in southeast Türkiye overnight, killing 11 people and leaving dozens of others requiring medical treatment, officials and news reports said Friday.
The blaze in Türkiye broke out in an area between the provinces of Diyarbakır and Mardin. Fanned by winds, it moved quickly through the villages of Köksalan, Yazçiçeği and Bağacık, Diyarbakır Governor Ali Ihsan Su said. The fire was brought under control early Friday.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca posted on X that 11 people were killed. Around 80 others required treatment, including six who were in serious condition.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said that authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, which lit up the night sky.
Hundreds of farm animals also perished in the fire, according to reports.
Animal welfare groups distributed pictures of numerous burnt and seriously injured sheep and goats still waiting for veterinary help.
Across the country in northwest Türkiye, meanwhile, firefighters were battling a wildfire near the town of Ayvacık in Çanakkale province, the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) said.
No one was hurt, but authorities evacuated the small village of Camköy as a precaution, the agency reported.
It was one of several wildfires that have erupted in the province of Çanakkale in the past week amid high winds and scorching summer temperatures.
Wildfires also erupted in Greece amid very windy, hot and dry conditions. Six villages or settlements were ordered evacuated as a precaution because of wildfires near Anavyssos, just south of Athens, and in the southern Peloponnese region.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to property, and firefighters on the ground were assisted by water-dropping aircraft.
The greater Athens region was on the top wildfire emergency footing Friday because of the weather forecast, with bans on entering forests and parks.
Türkiye has experienced 74 wildfires so far this year, which have ravaged 12,910 hectares (31,900 acres) of land, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
In the summer of 2021, Türkiye suffered its worst-ever wildfires. They claimed nine lives and destroyed huge swathes of forested land across its Mediterranean and Aegean coasts.
