Greek authorities on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of a district north of Athens threatened by major fires that are also affecting other regions of Greece and have claimed 20 lives in two days.
• Also read: Greece: 18 suspected migrants found dead in forest fire
• Also read: Fires in Greece: two dead, many evacuations
The country is suffering from a new wave of fires after those in July and twenty people, including 18 suspected migrants, have lost their lives since Monday.
Northwest of Athens, authorities ordered the evacuation of the district of Ano Liosia, home to about 25,000 people, after houses burned down in the neighboring district of Fyli, according to an AFP journalist.
“The situation is unprecedented, the weather conditions are extreme,” said fire department spokesman Yiannis Artopios on public television. He added that Tuesday’s fires “reached massive proportions in a short period of time.”
AFP
On Tuesday, 18 suspected migrants were found dead in Dadia National Park near the border with Turkey, an entry point commonly used by migrants, fire department spokesman Yiannis Artopios said on TV.
“The possibility that they are people who entered our country illegally is being examined,” as no resident has been reported missing, Mr Artopios continued, indicating that the victims were found north of the city of Alexandroupoli be.
Another suspected migrant was found dead, as was an old shepherd who fell victim to the blaze north of the capital.
“Greece is experiencing a new episode of destruction of its vegetation and the EU’s swift assistance is crucial,” said Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management, in a press release.
AFP
The lower areas of Mount Parnitha National Park, one of the largest forests around Athens, were in flames on Tuesday. Authorities have asked residents of the area to stay home and closed sections of the road.
Another focus raged in the industrial area of Aspropyrgos (west of the capital), covering the region with a thick black cloud.
Fires also broke out in northeastern Greece, as well as on the islands of Euboea and Kythnos, and in the Boeotia region (north of Athens). The Peloponnese and the west of the country are also affected by fires.
AFP
A hospital in the Alexandroupoli metropolitan area (a port in the north-east of the country) had to be evacuated Monday night while the area had been ablaze for four days. The Coast Guard said it transferred 65 patients to a waiting ferry at the port.
The fire in this area also threatens Dadia National Park, a sanctuary for rare bird species including raptors.
On the island of Euboea (Evia), near the capital, authorities evacuated the industrial town of Nea Artaki. Extreme weather conditions with strong winds and very high temperatures are fueling the flames and are expected to last until Friday, according to meteorologists.
On the island of Rhodes, a fire that broke out on July 18 has already devastated 17,770 hectares and led to the evacuation of 20,000 people, mostly tourists.