Athens, Aug 13 (IANS) A major wildfire that erupted and spread over 30 km to reach the northeastern suburbs of Athens has been contained by early Tuesday morning, leaving one dead and causing significant damages, according to local authorities.
The wildfire erupted on Sunday and has been blazing since, reports Xinhua news agency.
A 60-year-old woman who was working in a small factory in Chalandri, a suburb in northern Athens, lost her life in the flames. Her body was retrieved by firefighters early Tuesday, said Greece’s Fire Brigade.
According to the latest update, firefighters were no longer battling a raging blaze but were trying to extinguish dispersed pockets of fire and tackle flare-ups.
Initial estimates suggest the blaze started on Sunday near Marathon town, the birthplace of the Marathon race, located some 40 km northeast of central Athens. It has left behind scorched-down forests, farmland, and approximately 100 damaged houses.
“Today is a better day, but we need to cope with large destruction,” Stelios Petsas, deputy interior minister of Greece, said in the town on Tuesday.
Thousands of residents who had been forced to flee the flames have started returning to their homes.
“The entire neighbourhood is covered in ashes. The slope of Penteli Mountain has turned black. People are homeless and in despair,” Vasso Toumbeki, a resident of Chalandri, told Xinhua.
The strong winds that hampered firefighting efforts have receded, but authorities remain on alert. Meteorologists have warned that weather conditions might change again later on Tuesday and in the coming days.
Officials and experts said the prolonged drought was also among the primary factors making it difficult for firefighters to bring the wildfire under control.
“It was the first mega-fire we faced this year. It was a tough battle,” Nikos Lavranos, head of Greece’s main firefighters’ union, told the local MEGA television channel.
Greece just experienced its hottest June and July on record. The country faces thousands of wildfires each summer, and climate change seems to be triggering more and larger blazes.
Three people have lost their lives in wildfires so far this year in the country. The death toll was 20 last year and over 100 in 2018 when a major wildfire swept through Mati, a seaside resort near Marathon.
–IANS
int/jk/sd
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
