In Türkiye, the fire season began with a particularly heavy toll. At least eleven people died and dozens were injured in a vegetation fire which spread by winds to several villages in the southeast of the country. The summer promises to be particularly hot, causing the authorities to fear a black series of fires.
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With our correspondent in Istanbul, Anne Andlauer
In the images coming from the fire zone, we see hectares of charred wheat and corn fields, the corpses of hundreds of goats and sheep, and families grieving for a loved one who, often, tried in vain to contain the flames.
Five villages affected
According to authorities, the fire broke out due to stubble burning in a rural region located between the provinces of Diyarbakir and Mardin, close to the Syrian border, where temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees in recent days. Under the influence of the wind, the fire quickly spread to five surrounding villages.
A judicial investigation is open, while some villagers claimed in the media that an electricity pylon was the cause of the fire. Many, like the pro-Kurdish party DEM, also criticized the intervention deemed late by fire helicopters.
Heat records
Authorities warn of record heat expected this summer. From one end to the other of the Türkiyein forest and rural areas, there is fear of relive the disaster of summer 2021, marked by violent fires. That year, Turkey lost more than 139,000 hectares of forest.
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