At least five killed in southeast Turkey wildfires

Blaze on farmland was spread by winds to nearby villages, one of several to hit the country this week.

At least five people have been killed and dozens hurt as wildfires swept through several villages in southeastern Turkey, ministers said.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca reported the deaths from the overnight blaze between the cities of Diyarbakir and Mardin on Friday. Forty-four people were injured, 10 of them in a serious condition, he said on X.

The fire started with the burning of crop stubble. Fanned by winds, it moved quickly through the villages of Koksalan, Yazcicegi and Bagacik.

Images posted on social media showed a huge blaze lighting up the night sky with vast clouds of smoke billowing into the air.

Four emergency teams and 35 ambulances were sent to the scene. By Friday, firefighters had managed to bring the blaze under control, according to Diyarbakir Governor Ali Ihsan Su.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the fire started late on Thursday in an area 30km (18 miles) south of Diyabakir and quickly spread due to strong winds, affecting five villages.

Meanwhile, across the country in northwestern Turkey, firefighters were battling to contain a wildfire near the town of Ayvacik in Canakkale province, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

No one was hurt but authorities evacuated the small village of Camkoy as a precaution, the agency reported.

It was one of several wildfires to have erupted in the province of Canakkale in the past week amid high winds and scorching summer temperatures.