Four killed, 10 hospitalised in forest fires in eastern Ukraine

Firefighters are seen in a settlement hit by a forest fire in Luhansk region, Ukraine in this handout picture released October 1, 2020. The National Police of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS

KYIV (Reuters) - Four people died and ten were hospitalised as a series of forest fires swept through part of the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, Ukraine's emergency service said on Thursday.

The fires threatened 22 settlements and engulfed an area of about 18,000 hectares (70 sq miles), the service said in a statement, adding that 120 people were evacuated.