Kathmandu: A massive wildfire in a forest in Greece has led to the evacuation of more than 19,000 people to safe places. The ongoing evacuation of people may further increase the number.
Popular tourist areas Rhodes and Corfu have been involved in relocating 19,000 people from the affected forest. The Greek Civil Protection has issued instructions to evacuate half a dozen villages on the island of Corfu. According to BBC, the country’s firefighting service considers this wildfire the most challenging incident to deal with.
Greece is currently experiencing extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. The wildfire has been spreading uncontrollably since last Tuesday.
Many people are compelled to leave their homes due to the wildfire. Although there have been no reported human casualties, Greece’s climate crisis and civil defense ministry have raised concerns over climate crisis and citizen safety. People have been accommodated in safe hotels as per the ministry’s directives.
According to BBC, three hotels in Kiotari region have been affected by the fire. Lardos and Leros regions have also been impacted. To combat the fire, five helicopters and 173 firefighters have been deployed, including fire brigade teams.
Due to the ongoing crisis, the Greek government has suspended all public mourning events on Monday, as reported by BBC.
In order to ensure the safety of people from popular tourist destinations, private boats, lifeguards, and naval patrol ships have been active in evacuating people to safe locations along the eastern coast of the Greek island. The Greek Navy’s ships are also prepared to operate in the area.
Video footage shows a thick smoke rising into the sky and tourists waiting in long lines with their luggage to leave the area.