Latest news with #KonstantinosLetymbiotis
Jordan Times
7 days ago
- Climate
- Jordan Times
Two dead as Cyprus battles wildfire in searing heat
Soúni, Cyprus — Two people have died in a wildfire outside Cyprus's second city of Limassol fanned by strong winds and temperatures that were forecast to reach 44C, authorities said on Thursday. Police said two charred bodies were found in a burnt out car believed to have been caught up in the blaze that erupted on Wednesday afternoon. "We express the deep sorrow of the state over the unjust loss of two of our fellow citizens during the devastating wildfires," said government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis. Announcing relief measures for the affected communities, Letymbiotis said that "what is unfolding in our country... is unprecedented" with "multiple simultaneous wildfire outbreaks". Health authorities said two people were admitted to hospital with severe burns while another 16 were treated for less serious injuries. Fire service spokesperson Andreas Kettis said the blaze, which started in the village of Malia in the hills above Limassol, ravaged 100 square kilometres (nearly 40 square miles). He said there were "no active fronts" in the fire but intense "flare-ups" continued in the area. Authorities issued an extreme heat alert for the Mediterranean holiday island as temperatures were expected to peak at 44C. More than 250 firefighters and 75 vehicles were deployed to battle the blaze. The government has asked neighbouring countries to send aircraft to support the firefighting effort. Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told public broadcaster CyBC that Jordan had two firefighting aircraft on stand-by while two more were expected to come from Spain. Hartsiotis said 106 people had to spend the night in temporary accommodation after several villages were evacuated in the face of the advancing flames. Scores of homes are feared to have been damaged or destroyed by the fire, with 16 communities left without electricity for airconditioning or refrigeration in the searing heat. "When I entered my house, I saw the mountain and the valley full of flames," said Antonis Christou, a resident of Kandou, one of the villages affected by the fire. "I cried, really I cried, because people got burnt, and someone got burnt while in his car." Fire service chief Nikos Longinos told CyBC that he had passed on witness testimony to the police which suggested that the blaze might have been started deliberately. Cyprus is hit by wildfires almost every year during the island's hot, dry summers. A 2021 wildfire in Larnaca district killed four Egyptian farmworkers.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Two more killed amid raging wildfires in Cyprus and Turkey
Two people have been killed in a huge blaze in Cyprus, bringing the death toll from a series of wildfires on the eastern Mediterranean island and in neighbouring Turkey to 12 amid a brutal heatwave that has pushed temperatures to more than 44C (111F). Police said two charred bodies were found on Thursday in a burnt-out car that had been caught up in the Cyprus blaze, which began outside Limassol on Wednesday and, fanned by strong winds, rapidly engulfed a string of mountain villages north of the city. The fires, described as the worst on the island in more than half a century, devastated large tracts of southern Cyprus, injuring dozens of people and displacing hundreds. An estimated 250 firefighters battled to contain blazes raging on multiple fronts. The government spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said the state 'expresses its deep sorrow … over the unjust loss of two of our fellow citizens', adding that what was happening on the island was unprecedented. After appeals for help from the Nicosia government, Greece, Egypt, Israel and the UK, which has an RAF base on the island, said on Thursday they would be weighing in with air support and firefighters, while the EU was sending in water-bombing planes. By midday, nearly 24 hours after it broke out, the infernos had consumed more than 40 square miles of territory, decimating prime agricultural land and dozens of homes in village communities outside Limassol on the Troodos range. Charalambos Theopemptou, the Green MP who chairs the Cypriot parliament's environmental committee, spoke of a 'tragic situation' with blazes fuelled by extreme high temperatures, gale-force winds and a severe drought. Temperatures nudging 44C were forecast to rise further on Friday as a week-long heatwave intensified across southern Europe. 'We haven't seen such devastating fires since the Turkish invasion in 1974,' Theopemptou told the Guardian. 'It's tragic, people have died, 72 houses and 91 cars have been burned, it's absolute chaos.' He said part of the reason for the destruction was that preventive measures had not been taken, including the implementation of a public warning system that an EU directive voted into law in 2022. 'Illegal waste dumps haven't been cleared, [inflammable] vegetation hasn't been removed, basic infrastructure like big cement water tanks and hose pipe points aren't in place, all of which has helped the fires spread,' he said. At least six separate wildfires were burning across Turkey, the Turkish agriculture and forestry minister, İbrahim Yumakli, said on Thursday, warning that strong winds and scorching heat were creating 'extremely dangerous' conditions across the country. Ten firefighters were killed on Wednesday battling a fire in the western Eskişehir province, with 14 others injured. The fire subsequently spread to Afyonkarahisar, another central province, where several towns and villages were evacuated. The victims were caught when the flames suddenly changed direction, causing them to be 'burned alive', a local MP said. Turkey has been sweltering since Sunday in temperatures ranging between 6C and 12C above the seasonal norms. In the northwestern province of Bilecik, fires raged for a fourth consecutive day, as firefighters struggled to contain them. 'They couldn't intervene. There is no decent road, forests are thick and it's rocky,' Cemil Karadag, a local resident, said. Karadag told Reuters the fire had 'engulfed our village from two or three sides … The firefighters couldn't intervene … It spread very quickly with the effect of the wind, but, thank God, the centre of our village wasn't damaged that much.' A wildfire erupted in the Black Sea province of Sakarya, forcing the closure of a key motorway and the evacuation of several villages and small towns, and others in Karabuk, home of the Unesco world heritage site city of Safranbolu, and Manisa. Scientists have long warned that burning fossil fuels is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves more likely and more intense.
The Guardian
24-07-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Two more killed amid raging wildfires in Cyprus and Turkey
Two people have been killed in a huge blaze in Cyprus, bringing the death toll from a series of wildfires on the eastern Mediterranean island and in neighbouring Turkey to 12 amid a brutal heatwave that has pushed temperatures to more than 44C. Police said two charred bodies were found on Thursday in a burnt-out car caught up in the Cyprus blaze, which erupted outside Limassol on Wednesday and, fanned by strong winds, rapidly engulfed a string of mountain villages north of the city. The fires, described as the worst on the island in more than half a century, devastated large tracts of southern Cyprus, injuring dozens of people and displacing hundreds. An estimated 250 firefighters battled to contain blazes raging on multiple fronts. The government spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said the state 'expresses its deep sorrow … over the unjust loss of two of our fellow citizens', adding that what was happening on the island was unprecedented. After appeals for help from the Nicosia government, Greece, Egypt, Israel and the UK, which has an RAF base on the island, said on Thursday they would be weighing in with air support and firefighters, while the EU was sending in water-bombing planes. By midday, nearly 24 hours after it broke out, the infernos had consumed more than 40 square miles of territory, decimating prime agricultural land and dozens of homes in village communities outside Limassol on the Troodos range. Charalambos Theopemptou, the Green MP who chairs the Cypriot parliament's environmental committee, spoke of a 'tragic situation' with blazes fuelled by extreme high temperatures, gale-force winds and a severe drought. Temperatures nudging 44C were forecast to rise further on Friday as a week-long heatwave intensified across southern Europe. 'We haven't seen such devastating fires since the Turkish invasion in 1974,' Theopemptou told the Guardian. 'It's tragic, people have died, 72 houses and 91 cars have been burned, it's absolute chaos.' He said part of the reason for the destruction was that preventive measures had not been taken, including the implementation of a public warning system that an EU directive voted into law in 2022. 'Illegal waste dumps haven't been cleared, [inflammable] vegetation hasn't been removed, basic infrastructure like big cement water tanks and hose pipe points aren't in place, all of which has helped the fires spread,' he added. At least six separate wildfires were burning across Turkey, the Turkish agriculture and forestry minister, İbrahim Yumakli, said on Thursday, warning that strong winds and scorching heat were creating 'extremely dangerous' conditions across the country. Ten firefighters were killed on Wednesday battling a fire in the western Eskişehir province, with 14 others injured. The fire subsequently spread to Afyonkarahisar, another central province, where several towns and villages were evacuated. The victims were caught when the flames suddenly changed direction, causing them to be 'burned alive', a local MP said. Turkey has been sweltering since Sunday in temperatures ranging between 6C and 12C above the seasonal norms. In the northwestern province of Bilecik, fires raged for a fourth consecutive day, as firefighters struggled to contain them. 'They couldn't intervene. There is no decent road, forests are thick and it's rocky,' Cemil Karadag, a local resident, said. Karadag told Reuters the fire had 'engulfed our village from two or three sides … The firefighters couldn't intervene … It spread very quickly with the effect of the wind, but, thank God, the centre of our village wasn't damaged that much'. A wildfire erupted in the Black Sea province of Sakarya, forcing the closure of a key motorway and the evacuation of several villages and small towns, and others in Karabuk, home of the Unesco World Heritage City of Safranbolu, and Manisa. Scientists have long warned that burning fossil fuels is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves more likely and more intense.
The Journal
24-07-2025
- Climate
- The Journal
Wildfires kill over 10 people across Cyprus and Turkey as heatwave intensifies in Greece
A MASSIVE WILDFIRE has killed two people as it ripped through forests outside Cyprus's second city of Limassol, while at least 10 forest workers and rescuers were killed yesterday near Eskisehir in western Turkey while battling a wildfire. It comes as Greece announced plans to 'urgently' overhaul its water management as temperatures continued to rise during a week-long heatwave. In Cyprus, wildfires have been fanned by strong winds and temperatures forecast to reach 44C, authorities said today. Police said two charred bodies were found in a burnt out car believed to have been caught up in the blaze that erupted yesterday afternoon. The cause of the blaze is 'still under investigation', but high 'temperatures, strong winds and drought… made the situation even more difficult' said government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis. The Orthodox Church of Agios Ioannis Rossos stands burned in Vouni village, Cyprus Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Announcing relief measures for the affected communities, Letymbiotis earlier said that 'what is unfolding in our country… is unprecedented' with 'multiple simultaneous wildfire outbreaks'. Health authorities said two people were admitted to hospital with severe burns while another 16 were treated for less serious injuries. The blaze started in the village of Malia in the hills above Limassol and ravaged 100 square kilometres. There are currently 'no active fronts' in the fire but intense 'flare-ups' continue in the area. A firefighter along with her colleagues try to extinguish a fire in Souni village, Cyprus, during a massive wildfire, Thursday, 24 July Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Cyprus has asked neighbouring countries to send aircraft to support the firefighting effort. Letymbiotis said firefighting aircraft had arrived from Jordan, with more expected from Egypt, Israel and Spain 'as soon as possible', alongside assistance from the British air force base in the island's south. Cyprus is hit by wildfires almost every year during the island's hot, dry summers. Turkey In Turkey, a wildfire killed at least 10 forest workers and rescuers yesterday who were battling to douse the flames near Eskisehir in western Turkey. High temperatures and strong winds have fanned the wildfire between Istanbul and the capital Ankara since Tuesday morning, with the spread threatening homes and forcing the evacuation of several villages. The victims were wrong-footed when the flames suddenly changed direction, causing them to be 'burnt alive', according to news website BirGun. Advertisement Twenty-four workers were caught in the 'brusque evolution of the flames' of whom 14 were being treated in hospital, Agriculture minister Ibrahim Yumakli told broadcasters yesterday evening. Turkey has been sweltering since Sunday under temperatures between six to 12 degrees above the seasonal norms and several fires have been declared. Greece Elsewhere, Greece yesterday announced plans to 'urgently' overhaul its water management as temperatures continued to rise during a week-long heatwave. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the cabinet had discussed plans to make water companies more 'viable', noting that reserves in Athens were down 50% compared to three years ago. There will be additional use of desalination technology and water reuse, the premier's office said, adding that Greece globally ranked 19th in terms of drought risk. The National Observatory of Athens recently warned that, following high temperatures and low rainfall in June, almost all of Greece displayed above-normal drought levels for this time of year. Temperatures have continued to rise in a heatwave expected to last until Sunday. A tourist holding an umbrella against the sun passes by the Acropolis, which remained closed for five hours due the new heat wave in Athens Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In Athens yesterday, the heat reached 36.3C around 1:30 pm. It is expected to rise to 42C today. To protect visitors and guards, Greek authorities have closed the Acropolis in Athens during the hottest hours of the day, between 1:00pm and 6:00pm, until tomorrow. 'The asphalt is boiling' The Greek government has also banned outdoor work in several sectors during the hottest hours to minimise health risks. 'It's inhumane to work in such conditions. The asphalt is boiling,' Panagiotis Arvanitidis, 35, a member of the food delivery workers' union in the Thessaloniki region (north), told AFP. 'The ambient temperature in my home over the past two days has exceeded 30C,' said 50-year-old medical saleswoman Anna Spania. 'Without air conditioning, survival is impossible!' she added. The heatwave's highest temperatures so far were recorded on Tuesday at Tragana, central Greece, at 44.9C, according to A Mediterranean country accustomed to intense summer heatwaves, Greece last year experienced its hottest summer on record. - © AFP 2025
ABC News
24-07-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Two found dead in car as Cyprus wildfire rages on
Firefighters in Cyprus are battling for a second day to control a massive wildfire which has engulfed mountain villages in the eastern Mediterranean island. Two people were found dead in their car, trapped by the blaze which started on Wednesday, local time. Scores of homes were destroyed as people fled their homes overnight from a towering wall of flames north of the city of Limassol. Although the cause was not immediately known, authorities said they would be looking at the possibility of arson. "It was sheer hell," said Father Michalis, a Greek Orthodox priest who had to evacuate his village. After subsiding early Thursday, authorities were struggling to contain flare-ups at midday, stoked by strong winds. "Our focus right now is to control the fire, utilising to the maximum all ground and air forces," government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said. "We are facing an unprecedented situation." The fire, which broke out Wednesday amid 44-degree heat and strong winds, tore through at least 100 square kilometres, devastating a wine-producing region already suffering from drought. A new amber warning was in place on Thursday, with highs forecast to hit 44 degrees Celsius — the hottest of the year so far. Cyprus has struggled with a drought, pushing scarce water resources to critically low levels. The affected area sits just north of Cyprus's Kouris reservoir, the island's largest. It was at just over 15 per cent of its capacity on Wednesday. Although heatwaves and wildfires are common in this region, their impact on human life and the damage has become much more pronounced in recent years. "It's an unspeakable tragedy for everyone … Unfortunately, we'll no longer have this paradise that we enjoyed for so many years," said resident Kostas Hatzikonstantinou. Burned-out cars, collapsed roofs, and blackened churches lay in the hillside villages of Souni and nearby Kantou, where firefighting helicopters continued dumping water on smouldering ground. Firefighters across Türkiye also battled multiple wildfires on Thursday amid a heatwave that killed 10 firefighters. At least six separate wildfires burned across Turkey and Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli warned that strong winds and scorching heat were creating extremely dangerous conditions. Late on Wednesday, Yumakli said 10 firefighters were killed while battling a fire in the central Eskisehir province, adding that 14 others were injured. Reuters/ABC
