3 yıl önce

Firefighting plane crashes in southern Turkey

The Russian Be-200 amphibious plane crashed while landing near Turkey's Adana province following a firefighting mission, the Russian Defence Ministry said. All eight people on board the plane died in the incident.

AFP

This aerial photograph shows a burnt area after a forest fire on August 3, 2021 in Mugla, a Marmaris' district, as Turkey struggles against its deadliest wildfires in decades.

A firefighting plane linked to Turkey's General Directorate of Forestry has crashed in the southern province of Kahramanmaras, killing all eight people on board.

Contact was lost with the plane which had been rented from Russia to help Turkey's efforts to contain a forest fire in Kahramanmaras, Governor Omer Faruk Coskun told Anadolu Agency.

A large number of search and rescue teams were dispatched to the region, added Coskun.

Cause yet to be ascertained

The cause of the crash remains unknown.

In a separate statement, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the Russian Be-200 amphibious plane crashed while landing near Turkey's Adana province following a firefighting mission.

All five Russian and three Turkish servicemen on board the plane were killed in the crash, the statement said.

A special commission of the Russian Defence Ministry, as well as the employees of the Russian Embassy in Turkey, are heading to the place for the investigation, it added.

The plane was sent to Turkey on July 8 to help Turkey fight the wildfires.

 Be-200 is the world’s biggest amphibious plane designed specifically for fighting fires, including in remote areas, it can carry 12 tons of water.