Firefighters struggled Thursday against strong winds and hot, dry conditions to tame multiple wildfires ravaging Greece, including one in the country's northeast that officials say is the largest recorded in the European Union.
The wildfires have left 20 people dead over the last week. Eighteen of those, including two boys aged between 10 and 15, are believed to be migrants who crossed the nearby border with Turkey. Their bodies were found near a shack in a burnt forest area near Alexandroupolis in northeastern Greece. Sixty firefighters have been injured, fire department spokesman Ioannis Artopios said.
Elsewhere in Europe, fires in Spain's Canary Islands and northwestern Turkey were being brought under control, officials said. “Some ... arsonists are setting fires, endangering forests, property and above all human lives,” Kikilias said in a televised statement. “What is happening is not just unacceptable but despicable and criminal.”
With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece has asked other European countries for assistance. Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Cyprus sent aircraft, while dozens of Romanian, French, Czech, Bulgarian, Albanian and Slovak firefighters have been helping on the ground. Last month a large wildfire on the resort island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists. Days later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while tackling a blaze on the island of Evia.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
European firefighters and planes join battle against wildfires that have left 20 dead in GreeceOver three days, 209 wildfires have broken out across Greece. ‘Conditions remain difficult and in many cases extreme,’ fire department spokesman says
Read more »
Firefighters in Greece struggle to control blazes in country's northeast and near AthensFirefighters struggled Thursday against strong winds and hot, dry conditions to tame multiple wildfires that for days have burned forests and homes in northeastern Greece and on the fringes of the country's capital.
Read more »
Firefighters in Greece struggle to control blazes in northeast and near AthensElsewhere in Europe, fires on Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, northwestern Turkey, Portugal and Italy were being brought under control
Read more »
Firefighters in Greece struggle to control wildfires, including the EU's largest blaze on recordFirefighters struggled Thursday against strong winds and hot, dry conditions to tame multiple wildfires ravaging Greece, including one in the country's northeast that officials say is the largest ever recorded in the European Union.
Read more »
Greece detains man calling for migrants to be 'rounded up' -policeATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police said they had detained a man who held migrants in a trailer and called on citizens to
Read more »