For the fifth consecutive day, Greek authorities are battling massive forest fires that have erupted around the capital Athens and other areas of the country, including the island of Evia, Greece's second-largest island. In the latest developments regarding the fires, Reuters reported on Saturday that flames swept through a suburb of Athens overnight, and that fiery tongues are still burning in various parts of Greece.
In horrifying scenes, through the night and into Saturday, ferries evacuated 1,153 people from a coastal village and beaches on the island of Evia, a mountainous and forested area frequented by vacationers and campers, after massive wildfires that have been raging for days halted all other escape routes. The images showed people holding children and carrying the elderly in chairs while boarding small ferries to reach safety, according to the Associated Press.
Greek authorities announced that the fires caused the deaths of two people on Friday, while 16 others suffering from minor burns or respiratory issues were hospitalized in the last 48 hours across the country, as reported by AFP. The Greek Ministry of Health stated that a 38-year-old man from the town of Epikratiu, located north of Athens where the massive fires broke out, died in the hospital after a utility pole fell on him while he was riding a bicycle, marking the first fatality from the fires in Greece. A worker was also found dead at the factory where he worked.
The fires began erupting in Greece on Tuesday amidst the worst heatwave in over 30 years, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, and strong winds have fueled the raging flames. Greece is battling more than 400 wildfires across the country, with the largest fronts still active in northern Athens, Evia, and areas in the Peloponnese, including Mani, Messenia, and ancient Olympia, the site of the original Olympic Games.
The fires have consumed tens of thousands of acres of forest, destroyed homes and businesses, and killed animals. The sky in Athens and surrounding areas turned dark, as reported by Reuters. Authorities deployed more than 700 firefighters, including reinforcements from Cyprus, France, and Israel, to combat the fire, with assistance from the military and water-dropping aircraft.
