Forest fire kills two in Mersin

A forest fire that broke out in the southern province of Mersin on Monday killed a woman and her granddaughter, officials said on Tuesday. Two bulldozer operators were also missing, deputy governor Ahmet Büyükçelik said. The fire in the Gülnar district, intensified by strong winds, is still raging in a 400-hectare area and nearby villages have been evacuated, Büyükçelik also said. The deputy governor said 40 people had suffered from smoke inhalation and the woman whose 82-year-old mother and 16-year-old daughter died in the blaze had been hospitalized for second-degree burns. Five-hundred people, including firefighters and villagers, are battling the flames, Büyükçelik said, adding that helicopters were also involved in efforts to douse... [read full story]