UPDATE - Massive forest fire in southern Turkey kills 3

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Ayse Yildiz, Hatice Ozdemir Tosun and Suleyman Elcin

ANTALYA, Turkey (AA) – A massive forest fire in Turkey’s Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya has killed three people, official sources said Thursday.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said in a statement that three people lost their lives and 122 others were affected by the wildfires in the Manavgat district. Treatment of 58 people continues at hospitals, it added.

Many houses, workplaces, barns, farmland, greenhouses, and vehicles were damaged due to the fire, it said, adding that 12 teams are currently carrying out the damage assessment works.

The Turkish Red Crescent sent a field kitchen kit, five catering vehicles, and feeding units with a capacity for 20,400 people.

“The fire in Antalya’s Manavgat is under control, but there is an ongoing fire in Akseki (district) which erupted last night, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli told reporters in Antalya.​​​​​​​

Pakdemirli said an 82-year-old man, who was left alone at home, died while evacuation efforts were underway in the Kepezbeleni village of Akseki. He urged locals to comply with warnings.

Mustafa Yigit, the governor of Manavgat, told Anadolu Agency that 10 people were rescued in Oymapinar Dam.

They were affected by the smoke and taken to the hospital,” he said, adding they did not face a life-threatening situation.

Earlier, Pakdemirli said there were 10 people stranded in Oymapinar Dam while some neighborhoods have been evacuated.

“Ambulances and AFAD teams are on the way for our citizens in Oymapinar Dam. The road is open, they will try to evacuate them,” Pakdemirli said.

He said the efforts to bring 10 fires under control are continuing with a total of 1,832 personnel, three planes, 29 helicopters, and 458 water tenders.

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry also uses an unmanned helicopter to stop the fire in Manavgat. The unmanned helicopter, designed to support the control point through its high-resolution thermal camera and sensors, can stay in the air for up to eight hours.

Pakdemirli and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu examined the fire area, which started at four different spots in the Manavgat district on Wednesday and spread over a wide area.

“Our hope is that the fires both in Manavgat and in various parts of Turkey are brought under control and extinguished,” Cavusoglu said.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara.