ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five people were killed, and at least 28 others were injured on Thursday after a stubble fire broke out in the Mardin and Diyarbakir provinces in southeastern Turkey. State media Anadolu Agency reported that the fire broke out in the area between Diyarbakir’s Cinar district and Mardin’s Mazidagi district. The farmers were burning stubble when the blaze went out of control due to the wind. “Unfortunately, 3 of our citizens in Diyarbakir and 2 of our citizens in Mardin lost their lives in the fire. 11 of our citizens in Diyarbakir and 18 of our citizens in Mardin were injured. The treatment of our injured citizens is ongoing,” Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X. The fire was brought under control at around 10:15 pm local time according to Yerlikaya. Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 35 ambulances and seven medical rescue teams were dispatched to the area of the fire. Stubble burning is the practice of setting fire to straw stubble left after harvest. It is preferred over other pest and weed removal techniques because it is cheaper and easier to implement. This technique is still widely used worldwide.
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