Nepal, June 30 -- Rescuers have evacuated more than 50,000 people, mostly from Turkey's western Izmir province, as firefighters battled a string of wildfires, the AFAD disaster agency said Monday.

"A total of over 50,000 citizens from 41 settlements have been temporarily relocated to safe areas," AFAD wrote on X, saying 79 people had been affected by smoke and other fire-related issues, none seriously.

Of that number, 42,300 were evacuated from Seferihisar, a forested area near the sea some 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Izmir, it said.

The fire began around midday on Sunday and grew rapidly, fuelled by winds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (75 miles per hour), Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said.

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