Eighteen charred bodies were found in a remote village in northeastern Greece on Tuesday where wildfires have been raging for days, authorities said, as a heatwave that has seen red alerts issued across southern Europe turned deadly.
Firefighters said they were investigating whether the bodies, found near a shack south of the village of Avantas, were migrants.
In Spain, Italy and Portugal, firefighters were battling blazes as the region suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change.Italy and France declared red alerts in a number of areas.Some 20 000 people were evacuated on the Greek island of Rhodes in mid-July and a severe fire hit Spain’s Canary island of La Palma.
It said searches were ongoing. In Alexandroupolis, not far from Avantas, wildfires forced the evacuation of dozens of hospital patients, including newborn babies. Fires also broke out on Tuesday near Athens, where a blaze on the city’s outskirts, on the foothills of Mount Parnitha, burned homes and forced residents to flee.
In neighbouring Portugal, authorities placed more than 120 municipalities in the north and central areas, as well as in some parts of the Algarve – a popular holiday destination in the south – at maximum risk of wildfires due to the heat. No casualties have been reported. Italy issued hot weather red alerts in 16 of the country’s 27 main cities on Tuesday, including Rome, Milan and Florence,with the number set to rise on Wednesday.France’s weather service on Tuesday widened its “red alert”, the most serious warning, to include 15 more departments from Wednesday, which will cover large swathes of the southeastern Provence region and some areas to the southwest.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Firefighters in Greece battle blazes fanned by gale force windsHundreds of firefighters struggled to contain wildfires fanned by gale force winds in several parts of Greece on Monday as authorities warned most regions faced a high risk of new blazes.
Read more »
| Rescuers find 18 burned bodies as wildfires spread in GreeceEighteen burned bodies, possibly migrants, were found on Tuesday in a rural area in northern Greece where wildfires have been burning out of control for a fourth day, authorities said, as gale force winds fanned blazes across the country.
Read more »
Tuesday's weather: Fine day for most of SA, with strong winds in Western, Northern CapeIt will be a fine and warm Tuesday in most provinces, with warnings for winds and waves in the Western Cape and Northern Cape, according to the South African Weather Service.
Read more »
England set for Vunipola and Farrell decisions on TuesdayEngland are set to find out on Tuesday what impact, if any, disciplinary rulings on Billy Vunipola and Owen Farrell will have for their Rugby World Cup campaign.
Read more »