MINSK, 8 June (BelTA) – Mi-8 helicopters of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry have already performed over 30 flights to fight forest fires in Turkey, the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry told BelTA.
Belarusian helicopters have been deployed to Turkey since April in order to help the local firefighters fight fires in ecosystems. Two Mi-8 helicopters based in Marmaris and Canakkale have performed 31 flights and have dropped water 108 times. Their total flight time exceeds 50 hours. The Belarusian pilots and ground crews will stay in Turkey till October.
It is not the first year Belarusian firefighters have worked in other countries to help them fight natural calamities. For instance, Belarusian Emergencies Ministry aerial units have helped fight forest fires in Greece, Russia, Latvia, and Georgia and have helped residents of Serbia after a flood.
