Two people died and hundreds were evacuated after two fires broke out almost simultaneously on Sunday afternoon on the Greek island of Salamis near Athens, officials said.
Around 200 firefighters were deployed to combat the blazes to prevent the two fires from merging on the island, where a high fire risk alert was in effect on Sunday. The first fire was recorded at 14:40 local time (11:40 GMT) on the island's southern coast and spread rapidly due to strong winds. Roughly 20 minutes later, a second fire broke out in the east. The cause of the fires has not yet been established.
Evacuation and firefighting response
According to Greek media, by Sunday evening one of the fires was brought under control and evacuations were complete, with 500 people leaving the island by sea. The first blaze broke out in a forested residential area of Peristeria, a southern town on the island, fire service spokesperson Vasilios Vathrakogiannis said in a statement.
According to him, firefighters working at the scene discovered two bodies. The town's mayor told Greek media that the victims were believed to be a married couple. Officials continued to battle scattered hotspots late Sunday evening, while the second fire, which started in the eastern town of Selinia, had no active front, according to authorities.
Two coast guard vessels and one fire service vessel will remain in the area for monitoring and assistance.
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis wrote on social media platform X that at least 10 people suffered burns or smoke inhalation symptoms, with five of them taken for local treatment. Several aircraft and 50 fire engines, supported by water tankers and construction equipment, were deployed to fight the two fires.
Deputy Mayor of Salamis Thodoris Zannis previously stated that these measures were being taken to prevent the fire from jumping over the island's mountain and merging into a single blaze. Salamis, located west of Athens, is home to around 37,000 people, many of whom are elderly.
Source: bbc.co.uk
