Firefighters struggle to contain deadly Greek wildfire
A man has been found dead as an out-of-control wildfire burns in northern Greece, forcing residents of a nearby village to evacuate. The man's body
A man has been found dead as an out-of-control wildfire burns in northern Greece, forcing residents of a nearby village to evacuate. The man's body was found in a charred area near Liti, about 15km (nine miles) north-west of the city of Thessaloniki, where more than 100 firefighters are working to contain the blaze. A woman was also injured after reportedly trying to extinguish the flames, suffering burns to her hands, as hot and windy conditions hampered firefighting efforts.
Dozens of fire engines and at least seven aircraft took part in a major operation to contain the fire late on Tuesday, reportedly faced by a wall of flame measuring some 5km long and still spreading. The cause of the blaze, which broke out at about 14:30 (11:30 GMT) and quickly spread to a nearby forest, has not yet been determined.
The region was under a high wildfire risk warning on Tuesday, with dry conditions and high winds making it harder to contain the fire and causing repeated flare-ups. Residents in Liti were urged to flee their homes while Greek broadcaster ERT reported a small number of properties had been damaged by the fire, which was spreading towards the nearby village of Melissochori on Tuesday evening.
It is Greece's latest forest fire in recent days as it heads towards its peak tourist season. Wildfires have become a common occurrence for the country during summers of regular droughts and heatwaves.
The BriefWire