ISTANBUL — At least ten firefighters and rescue workers were killed and 14 others injured on Wednesday while trying to contain a wildfire in north-western Turkey, the country's forestry minister said.

The fire broke out in a forested area of Eskisehir province. Forestry Ministry Ibrahim Yumakli said five of the dead were forestry personnel and five were members of the AKUT rescue organisation.

The fatalities bring Turkey's wildfire death toll this year to 13, as blazes fuelled by strong winds, extreme heat and dry conditions continue to spread.

Yumakli said a sudden shift in wind direction caused the flames to engulf the group. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

"Starting tomorrow, we are facing extraordinary temperatures and extreme wind shifts. Once again, I call on all 86 million citizens to be vigilant and exercise extra caution," he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the victims had fought "to protect our forests at cost of their lives."

The country's justice minister said two prosecutors had been assigned to investigate the incident.

Turkey has been battling wildfires since June 26. Earlier this month, an elderly man and two forestry workers were killed in a blaze near the town of Odemis in Izmir province.

Authorities said seven wildfires were still active across the country on Wednesday.

Turkey often faces forest fires in the summer months amid rising temperatures. Particularly in Central Anatolia, the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, fires threaten both natural and human life. In 2021, largest forest fires destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares of land there.

Experts warn that such fires are becoming both more frequent and more destructive due to climate change. — Euronews