Greece battles wildfire in Evia, reports progress on Crete
ATHENS - Firefighters were battling a wildfire on the Greek island of Evia on Saturday which was burning forests and forced the evacuation of two villages, the fire brigade and authorities said.
More than 160 firefighters along with 46 trucks and five aircraft were deployed in southern Evia, east of Athens, to put out the blaze, which broke out late on Friday, a fire brigade official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Evia was on a list of several Greek regions that were on high alert for wildfires due to gale force winds due on Saturday. The authorities ordered the evacuation of the villages of Tsakeoi and the seaside seasonal settlement of Limnionas in the early hours.
Southern Evia is a sparsely populated area of rugged mountains, agricultural land and popular seaside spots.
The fire there is the latest in a series of bushfires stoked by strong winds and dry conditions this week as much of Europe sweltered in an early summer heatwave, which officials have linked to at least eight deaths on the continent.
Another wildfire on the southern island of Crete, which has razed forest and olive groves since Wednesday and forced thousands of residents and tourists to temporarily evacuate, was largely contained, the fire brigade official said.
Tourism is a key earner in Greece and the fires have hit at the start of the peak summer holiday season.
Temperatures in Greece were forecast to reach up to 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, the Greek weather service said.
Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists - with blazes common during hot and dry summers. These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate, prompting calls for a new approach. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Search for Texas flood victims enters third day as more rain forecast
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A search dog working at Camp Mystic, after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, on July 5. HUNT, Texas - The search for over two dozen children missing from a girls' summer camp hit by flash floods in Texas entered a third day on July 6 as rescuers faced the threat of more flooding and the death toll in the region reached at least 50. Search and rescue teams raced to find 27 girls missing from a camp near the Guadalupe River, which broke its banks after torrential rain fell in central Texas on July 4, the US Independence Day holiday. Officials said more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38cm of rain across Texas Hill Country, about 140km north-west of San Antonio. It was unclear exactly how many people in the area were still missing. Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm. President Donald Trump and his administration have overseen thousands of job cuts from the National Weather Service's parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, said former NOAA director Rick Spinrad. He said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but that they would inevitably degrade the agency's ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees NOAA, said a 'moderate' flood watch issued on July 3 by the National Weather Service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore First BTO project in Sembawang North to be offered in July HDB launch World Tariffs will kick in on Aug 1 barring trade deals: US Treasury Secretary Singapore Woman on SMRT's 190 bus injured after bottle thrown at vehicle leaves hole in window Business Great Eastern says Takeover Code not breached when it shared IFA valuation with OCBC Asia 'Don't be seen in India again': Indian nationals pushed into Bangladesh at gunpoint Asia Thousands evacuated as Typhoon Danas lashes Taiwan Asia Two women fatally stabbed at bar in Japan by man Life Star Awards 2025: Christopher Lee wins big, including Special Achievement Award and Best Actor The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr Joaquin Castro, a Democratic congressman from Texas, told CNN's State Of The Union that fewer personnel at the weather service could be dangerous. 'When you have flash flooding, there's a risk that if you don't have the personnel... to do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way, it could lead to tragedy,' Mr Castro said. More rain was expected in the area on July 6. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Kerr County, the epicentre of the disaster, until 1pm local time. The disaster unfolded rapidly on the morning of July 4 as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 9m. Items scattered inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, on July 5. PHOTO: REUTERS Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, told a press conference on July 5 he had asked Mr Trump to sign a disaster declaration, which would unlock federal aid for those affected. Ms Noem said Mr Trump would honour that request. Mr Trump has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government's role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves. At least 15 of the confirmed dead are children, local officials said. The 27 missing girls were from the Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp, which had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flood. Families waiting to hear news of their loved ones in Kerville, Texas, on July 5. PHOTO: REUTERS A day after the disaster struck, the camp was a scene of devastation. Inside one cabin, mud lines indicating how high the water had risen were at least 1.83m from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside. Some buildings had broken windows, one had a missing wall. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Death toll from Texas floods reaches 67, including 21 children
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A volunteer looking for missing people in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, following severe flash flooding on the July 4 holiday. HUNT, Texas - The death toll from catastrophic floods in Texas reached at least 67 on July 6, including 21 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp entered a third day. Mr Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, the epicentre of the flooding, said the death toll in Kerr County had reached 59, including the 21 children. Mr Leitha said 11 girls and a counsellor remained missing from a summer camp near the Guadalupe River, which broke its banks after torrential rain fell in the central Texas area on July 4, the US Independence Day holiday. A Travis County official said four people had died from the flooding there, with 13 unaccounted for, and officials reported another death in Kendall County. The Burnet County Sheriff's office reported two fatalities. A woman was found dead in her submerged car in the city of San Angelo in Tom Green County, the police chief said. Mr Leitha said there were 18 adults and four children still pending identification in Kerr County. He did not say if those 22 individuals were included in the death count of 59. Officials said on July 5 that more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38cm of rain across the region, about 140km north-west of San Antonio. It was unclear exactly how many people in the area were still missing. 'Everyone in the community is hurting,' Mr Leitha told reporters. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings and advisories for central Texas that were to last until 4.15pm local time (5.15am on July 7 in Singapore) as rains fell, potentially complicating rescue efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on July 6 and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement. United States Coast Guard helicopters and planes are helping the search and rescue efforts, DHS said. Mr Trump has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government's role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves. Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm. People searching the area, following flash flooding, in Hunt, Texas, on July 6. PHOTO: REUTERS Mr Trump's administration has overseen thousands of job cuts from the National Weather Service's parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, said former NOAA director Rick Spinrad. He said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but that they would inevitably degrade the agency's ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees NOAA, said a 'moderate' flood watch issued on July 3 by the National Weather Service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Mr Joaquin Castro, a Democratic congressman from Texas, told CNN's State Of The Union that fewer personnel at the weather service could be dangerous. 'When you have flash flooding, there's a risk that if you don't have the personnel... to do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way, it could lead to tragedy,' Mr Castro said. 'Complete devastation' The 11 missing girls and the counsellor were from the Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp, which had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flood. Ms Katharine Somerville, a counsellor on the Cypress Lake side of Camp Mystic, on higher ground than the Guadalupe River side, said her 13-year-old campers were scared as their cabins suffered damage and lost power in the middle of the night. 'Our cabins at the top of hills were completely flooded with water. I mean, you all have seen the complete devastation, we never even imagined that this could happen,' she said, in an interview on Fox News on July 6. She said the campers in her care were put on military trucks and evacuated, and that all were safe. Beds and personal belongings caked in mud and tossed around inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, where at least 20 girls went missing amid the floods. PHOTO: AFP The disaster unfolded rapidly on the morning of July 4 as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 9m. A day after the disaster struck, the summer camp was a scene of devastation. Inside one cabin, mud lines indicating how high the water had risen were at least 1.80m from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside. Some buildings had broken windows, one had a missing wall. Ms Somerville, who attended Camp Mystic as a child, lauded longtime camp director Richard 'Dick' Eastland, who died while trying to save girls at the camp, according to local media reports. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Woman dies in violent storm pounding Milan after heatwave
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A powerful storm battered the northern Italian city of Milan after days of high temperatures. MILAN - One person was killed by a falling tree near Milan, local firefighters said on July 6, as a powerful storm battered the northern Italian city after days of high temperatures. The 63-year-old woman died in the town of Robecchetto con Induno, west of Milan, as she was returning from a walk with two other people who were injured in the incident and have been hospitalised, the firefighters said. Firefighters have dealt with about 50 incidents so far, with another 37 still pending. Most involve dangerous trees, flooded basements and taverns, and advertising billboards torn down by strong winds. According to Italian news agency Ansa, heavy rains also hit the eastern Veneto region, where bad weather swept areas around the cities of Belluno and Vicenza, as well as parts of Tuscany, where falling trees were also reported. While rain and gales pounded the north, temperatures remained close to 30 deg C in much of southern and central Italy, including in Rome.
