Efforts are on to extinguish the fire with 290 firefighters and 77 trucks
Athens, Aug 2 (IANS)| At least 16 people have been injured and dozens of homes destroyed in a wildfire in Greece’s Achaia region. The fire, which broke out on July 31 near Patras, west of the capital Athens, spread rapidly due to strong winds and reached coastal areas within a few hours, Xinhua news agency reported.
Officials said the injured were shifted to hospitals due to respiratory problems, while people from nearby villages have been asked to evacuate. The fire service said a total of 290 firefighters and 77 trucks, assisted by eight aircraft and helicopters, were dispatched to douse the blaze. There have been 56 forest fires in Greece since July 30, due to dry weather, heat waves and strong winds.
Civil Defense Minister Michaelis Chrysochoides said most of the fires were quickly brought under control. Officials warned that the heatwave currently scorching Greece could spark wildfires across the country. According to meteorologists, the heat wave is expected to peak on Monday, with temperatures hovering between 42 and 46 degrees Celsius and may last at least till Friday.
(Disclaimer: This news has been published directly from news agency’s Syndicate feed. It has not been edited by AnyTV News team.)