MINSK, 6 July (BelTA) – Two aircraft of the Emergencies Ministry of Belarus are helping suppress forest fires near the Turkish cities of Izmir and Antalya, BelTA learned from the Emergencies Ministry of Belarus.
Two Mi-8 helicopters with water discharge devices remain on duty in Turkey. “Aviation can help detect wildfires at an early stage and quickly eliminate them, thus minimizing the repercussions,” the Emergencies Ministry noted.
Belarusian pilots from the Emergencies Ministry participated in the wildfire suppression effort in the Marmaris region this year. The fire affected more than 400 hectares.
All in all, since the beginning of their mission, Belarusian pilots have made 78 sorties with a total flight time of 140 hours, more than 370 water discharges have been made.
By the way, Belarusian rescuers have been helping other countries facing emergency situations for almost 15 years. Thus, Emergencies Ministry aircraft helped put out forest fires in Greece, Russia, Latvia and Georgia, and also helped residents of Serbia affected by the flood.
