Three firefighters have died as wildfires continue to burn across Greece, with Crete facing a second day of intense blazes driven by strong winds. The fires come as Europe battles destructive wildfires fuelled by extreme heat and drought.
Two firefighters died after becoming trapped while driving between fire fronts near the village of Krya Vrysi in central Crete. A third firefighter was killed in a separate wildfire in the Peloponnese region, according to a fire department spokesperson.
Residents and tourists were evacuated from Krya Vrysi and nearby villages as strong winds pushed the flames towards popular holiday destinations.
"The wind is unbelievable - you can't stand sometimes. The flames were huge, it was really scary," resident Chrissa Gioukaki told Reuters.
The fire also spread towards the coastal town of Agia Galini, where tourists were evacuated by bus and car, hotel owner Charalampos Sevvas said.
More than 200 firefighters, supported by dozens of fire engines and water-dropping aircraft, continued efforts to contain two major wildfires on Crete on Thursday.
The fires have destroyed olive groves and other agricultural land, while several warehouses and homes have been damaged.
"Unfortunately there is no improvement, and the latest information indicates that winds will increase later in the day," Giorgos Tsapakos, Crete's deputy regional governor for civil protection, told SKAI TV.
Europe faces growing wildfire risk
The head of the European Union's emergency response centre warned on Wednesday that Greece and Italy are likely to face an elevated wildfire threat in the coming weeks.
Spain and France have also experienced major wildfires in recent days, forcing evacuations and destroying large areas of forest.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska warned of "three tough days" ahead because of high temperatures and strong winds, although authorities have begun lifting some evacuation orders as conditions improve.
Scientists say Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, is experiencing more frequent and severe heatwaves, with climate change creating hotter, drier conditions that allow wildfires to spread more rapidly.
Iran is expected to receive its first shipment of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers within weeks, according to three...
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the stri...
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned that a failure to quickly resolve restrictions on Armenian exports could mark “the beginning of t...
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
Moscow should stop linking Russia-Armenia relations to Azerbaijan, Baku's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said, after Russia again raised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's role during the former Garabagh conflict.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
An impending "super" El Niño is likely to inflict a combined $10 billion to $20 billion hit on affected African countries and trigger mass migration from hard-hit areas, the African Development Bank's (AfDB) top climate expert said.
Brazil has banned the production and sale of foie gras, the French delicacy made from fattened duck or goose liver. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a law late Thursday aimed at ending force-feeding in the country's foie gras industry and stopping imports.
At least 82 people have died after heavy rain triggered devastating floods across northeastern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan this week, with widespread damage to homes, farmland and infrastructure.
Communities in Spain's northwestern Galicia region are bringing back native livestock, including the hardy Cachena breed, to help reduce the risk of devastating wildfires while restoring ecosystems.
Spanish military firefighters worked through the night into Sunday to contain the La Mierla wildfire, which continued to spread across Guadalajara province in central Spain.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment