1 killed as wildfire rages in S. Türkiye

ANKARA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- One person died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack amid a wildfire in Türkiye's southern province of Antalya, as firefighters continued efforts to bring the blaze under control, local authorities and media reported.

The victim, a resident of Antalya's Aksu district, was affected by smoke from the wildfire before suffering the heart attack, Aksu Mayor Isa Yildirim said in a social media post.

The fire started in Aksu on Monday evening and spread to the neighboring Kepez district, where strong winds complicated firefighting efforts, prompting authorities to evacuate residents from at least 250 homes in both districts, according to local reports.

Aerial operations began early Tuesday, with five aircraft and more than 10 helicopters joining the response. Around 110 firefighting vehicles and more than 600 personnel were also deployed to contain the blaze.

A highway connecting Antalya with the neighboring province of Isparta was also temporarily closed as a precaution, the reports said.

Firefighting continued on Wednesday with ground crews backed by aircraft and helicopters. Local residents also helped emergency teams keep the flames from reaching populated areas, private broadcaster NTV reported.

More than 2,000 homes in the region were affected by power outages, Anadolu Agency reported.

Antalya is scheduled to host the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in November, bringing together world leaders and climate negotiators to discuss global action on climate change.