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A water bomber plane with two crew members crashed on Tuesday on the Greek island of Euboea while fighting one of the forest fires that are raging Greeceravaged by high temperatures for ten days.
These fires, fanned by strong winds, also affect Algeriaanother country on the Mediterranean perimeter particularly exposed to global warming and where 34 people have already died.
LOOK HERE: Greece assists more than 30,000 people in the largest evacuation in its history due to fires
In Francea region in the southeast is under the maximum level of risk surveillance “very high” of wildfires compared to other times of summer, according to the weather service.
BREAKING: Plane fighting wildfires in Evia has crashed in #Greece pic.twitter.com/e8N47uTTiB
— Insider Corner (@insidercnews) July 25, 2023
On the Greek island of Euboeanearly Athensa bomber plane crashed “while fighting a fire in platanisto”, a town on the island, the Greek air force reported in a statement, which deployed two helicopters to the crash site for rescue operations.
According to the first information from the authorities, the two pilots, belonging to the air force, are missing.
The device, which was involved with at least three other planes and a hundred firefighters, crashed into a ravine.
The ERT public channel broadcast a video of the plane at the time of the incident, disappearing behind the flames and thick black smoke.
The Greek Prime Minister Kyriacos Mitsotakisconsidered that the fight against fires will be “difficult”.
“We live the repercussions of the climate crisis”, pointed out the president. “We have before us a difficult summer”, He launched in the Council of Ministers, according to images from ERT.
In the Greek capital, which has endured extreme heat for more than a week, the thermometer reached 41 °C and in the center of the country, 44 ºC; according to the national meteorological agency EMY.
This Mediterranean country, although accustomed to high summer temperatures, is suffering one of the longest heat waves in recent years, according to experts.
MORE INFORMATION: Greece: about 300,000 people evacuated from the island in the middle of a heat wave in the northern hemisphere
The high temperatures, combined with strong winds that sometimes reach 60 km/hour in the Aegean Seahave caused major fires for eight days.
According to estimates by the Greek section of the NGO World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 35,000 hectares of forest and vegetation were destroyed last week in the country.
The fires are being especially devastating on very touristy islands such as Rhodesoff the Turkish coast, and at the other end of the country, corfuin it ionian seawhile the tourist season is in full swing.
Another front concerns firefighters near Aigioin the west of the Peloponnese peninsula.
“Tragic”
In Rhodes, where an unprecedented evacuation operation of some 30,000 tourists and residents took place over the weekend, more than 266 firefighters are still trying to contain the fires for the eighth consecutive day.
“It is tragic what is happening. The town has been ordered to evacuate, but it cannot be abandoned. We fight to protect our place”, he tells AFP Vassilis Kalabodakispresident of the commune of vatiin the south-east of Rhodes, overflown by planes canadair.
Others expressed their anger, considering themselves abandoned by the State.
“There is nothing worse than what we have just experienced“, held Christos Kitsos. For this resident of the island, employed in a luxury hotel, “the authorities failed. The mayor, the governor, the government. All!”.
“There is a total lack of organization, they do not give us any information. We are in high season, there are 200,000 tourists on the island and we have managed on our own. They have abandoned us. A shame!”, insisted the man, 34 years old.
Solidarity
In the north of the island, volunteers help foreign tourists evacuated on Saturday, who have been camping for two days in a school.
ALSO SEE: One of the great fires on the outskirts of Athens reignites and reaches populated areas
About 200 are still staying there after having to flee on Saturday and Sunday from hotels and vacation homes threatened by the flames.
“I can’t believe they are so kind, they give so much, in every way. I am very touched“, said Christine Moodya 69-year-old British tourist spending her first holiday in Greece.
At the other end of the country, in northern Corfu, where some 2,500 people were preventively evacuated between Sunday and Monday, 62 firefighters, a helicopter and two water bombers are fighting the fire, according to firefighters.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
