Death toll rises to 11 in Diyarbakır and Mardin fire

The fire broke out during the night in the region between the Çınar district and Mardin’s Mazıdağı. The fire, which started for an unknown reason, grew due to the effect of the wind and spread to residential areas.

For the fire that spread to the rural Köksalan and surrounding villages, a large number of fire department, Forestry Directorate, health, gendarmerie, UMKE, AFAD, and municipal teams were dispatched to the region, along with 2 armored riot vehicles (TOMA) and 4 tankers belonging to the Provincial Security Directorate’s Riot Police Branch.

While efforts to extinguish the fire were ongoing, many injured people were taken to Çınar State Hospital and hospitals in the city center for treatment.

FIRST STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR SU

Governor Ali İhsan Su, who arrived at the scene of the fire, stated that 2 people had lost their lives in the fire and said, "It is a fire caused by stubble. Since there was a lot of rainfall this year, the grass grew quite long and it spread over a wide area by burning along with the stubble fire. Unfortunately, 2 of our citizens also lost their lives after being caught in the grass fire. Currently, all our teams are continuing extinguishing efforts in the neighborhoods where the fire is located. We are on the field with our gendarmerie commander, our district governor, our teams, our fire department, and our forestry organization. Our extinguishing efforts are continuing," he said.

STATEMENT ON LOSS OF LIFE

Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya announced that 3 people in Diyarbakır and 2 people in Mardin had lost their lives due to the fire.

Explaining that cooling efforts are continuing, Yerlikaya stated, “11 of our citizens in Diyarbakır and 18 of our citizens in Mardin have been injured. The treatment of our injured continues. I wish God's mercy upon our citizens who passed away and a speedy recovery to our injured,” he said.

Diyarbakır İli Çınar ilçesi Köksalan Kırsal Mahallesinde saat 22:15’te anız ile örtü yangını olarak başlayan ve rüzgârın şiddetiyle Yazçiçeği, Bağrık ve Ağaçsever mahallelerini etkileyen yangın,

Mardin Mazıdağı ilçesi Yücebağ, Şenyuva ve Yetkinler mahallesi istikametine doğru…

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) June 21, 2024

44 PEOPLE INJURED, 10 SERIOUSLY

Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca announced that 44 people were injured in the fire, 10 of them seriously.

Koca’s post is as follows:

5 people lost their lives and 44 people, 10 of whom are in serious condition, were affected by the fire that occurred in the Köksalan neighborhood and Yazçiçeği village of Diyarbakır’s Çınar district, and the Yücebağ and Yetkinler villages of Mardin’s Mazıdağı district. We have 3 losses of life in Diyarbakır and 2 in Mardin. Due to the incident, 35 ambulances and 7 UMKE teams were assigned. I wish God's mercy upon those who lost their lives and offer my best wishes for a recovery to the injured.

Diyarbakır’ın Çınar ilçesinin Köksalan mahallesi ve Yazçiçeği köyü ile Mardin’in Mazıdağı ilçesi Yücebağ ve Yetkinler köyünde meydana gelen yangında 5 kişi hayatını kaybetti, 10’u ağır 44 kişi yangından etkilendi. Diyarbakır’da 3, Mardin’de 2 can kaybımız var. Olay sebebi ile 35…

— Dr. Fahrettin Koca (@drfahrettinkoca) June 21, 2024

INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç stated that an investigation has been launched regarding the fires and said the following:

"A judicial investigation has been initiated by the Çınar Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the stubble fire that broke out in the area between Diyarbakır's Çınar and Mardin's Mazıdağı districts and spread over a wide area.

I wish God's mercy upon our citizens who lost their lives in the fire and a speedy recovery to our injured citizens.

I convey my best wishes to all our citizens affected by the fire."

FIRE IN ERGANİ

Following the fire that broke out in the cultivated area between Diyarbakır’s Çınar District and Mardin’s Mazıdağı District, another fire report came from Diyarbakır’s Ergani District.

According to the news in Amida Haber; a fire broke out for an unknown reason around 11:00 in a 30-decare cultivated area between the villages of Dereboyu, Koyunalan, and Hançerli in Diyarbakır’s Ergani District.

The fire spread in a short time due to the effect of the wind. The villagers initially tried to intervene in the fire with their own means. Upon the notification of the citizens, 112 and fire department teams were dispatched to the region.

With the arrival of reinforcement teams from Diyarbakır, the fire was brought under control after about 2 hours of work.

Ergani Municipality Co-Mayor Şiyar Güldiken said that 20 decares of land were damaged due to the fire.

Güldiken said, “According to the information given by our citizens, the reflection of glass shards caused the fire. We intervened in the fire with vehicles belonging to our Diyarbakır and Ergani Municipalities. The fire was brought under control after two hours of work. There are no citizens affected by the fire in our 3 villages. The cooling work of the teams is continuing.”

Diyarbakır ve Mardin'deki yangında can kaybı yükseldi https://t.co/aFUUwUXvz5 pic.twitter.com/Cf6GBLwGcO

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) June 21, 2024

DEATH TOLL RISES TO SIX

Remzi Yılmaz, who was seriously injured in the fire in Diyarbakır and Mardin, lost his life in the hospital where he was being treated.

Yılmaz could not be saved despite all the efforts of the doctors at the Mardin Training and Research Hospital where he was being treated.

It was reported that the treatment of other injured people in the hospital continues.

MINISTER KOCA ANNOUNCED: DEATH TOLL RISES TO 11

Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca announced that 11 citizens have lost their lives in the fires so far.

In his post on X, Minister Koca said the following:

"Due to the fire that occurred last night in the Köksalan neighborhood and Yazçiçeği village of Diyarbakır’s Çınar district, and the Yücebağ and Yetkinler villages of Mardin’s Mazıdağı district, 11 people lost their lives and 78 people were affected by the fire. I wish God's mercy upon those who lost their lives and offer my best wishes for a recovery to the injured.

Due to these fires in the villages on the Diyarbakır and Mardin border, currently, 5 patients are in intensive care in Diyarbakır, 4 of whom are intubated. 1 patient is being treated while intubated in Şanlıurfa. The total number of patients continuing treatment in our hospitals is 6.

Due to the fires, 24 ambulances and 3 UMKE teams from Diyarbakır and 15 ambulances and 4 UMKE teams from Mardin were assigned to the scenes. 

As is known, the fires have been extinguished by the relevant units, and cooling efforts are continuing.

News Source: 12punto