Evacuated villages, wounded and emergency aid in the Peloponnese

heat dried Greek forests are victims of fires every summer, fed by strong winds. And this summer again,
Greece It is facing a new heat wave, with temperatures ranging between 42 and 44 degrees.

A few days ago, a fire broke out in Mount Bentley near the Greek capital. Saturday, They are four villages in the northwest Peloponnese, Near the city of Patras, which was evacuated by Greek firefighters who had to deal with a large forest fire. About 140 firefighters, 50 trucks, eight water launchers and helicopters were mobilized to fight the flames in the Ziria region.

Dozens of homes were burned and five people were injured, according to a temporary assessment of the Greek Civil Protection. The Civil Protection said that the five injured, who had breathing problems, were taken to area hospitals.

Rescue workers who can suffocate in ash smoke

The authorities sent alert messages on mobile phones to warn residents of the necessity of evacuating the villages of Ziria, Kamaris, Achayas and Lulbiri. Hospitals in Patras and a neighboring town, Aigio, were also alerted to the possibility of sheltering the wounded, while the Coast Guard was put on alert to rescue swimmers who might suffocate due to the smoke from the ash.

At the end of Saturday afternoon, the seaside resort of Logos was also evacuated, and the fire spread towards the coast. Residents and tourists were taken by the port police to the port of Egeo, a few kilometers from the village. The highway in the area in question as well as the Rio Antio bridge that connects the Peloponnese and mainland Greece have been closed to traffic.