Athens, Aug 16 (IANS) Two bodies were found on Sunday during a wildfire-fighting operation on the Greek island of Salamina, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported, citing Fire Service sources.
The bodies, whose identities have not yet been established, were discovered near the area where a wildfire appears to have started around midday in a forested area of Peristeria. A second fire was burning in the Selinia area on the island, near Athens and Piraeus port.
Four people were transferred from the area with burn injuries, according to Greek national news agency AMNA.
The flames were spreading rapidly amid strong winds. A total of 146 firefighters, supported by volunteers, have been deployed to tackle the blazes.
Four water-dropping aircraft and six helicopters have been mobilised, Xinhua News Agency reported.
As evacuation orders have been issued for people in the wider area, the Hellenic Coast Guard was placed on alert, with vessels ready to provide assistance if required.
The latest fires come as Greece has faced a high risk of wildfires over the past two weeks, with civil protection authorities warning of dangerous conditions across parts of mainland Greece and the Aegean islands in the coming days.
With the latest reported fatalities on Salamina, the number of people who have lost their lives in wildfires across Greece this summer has risen to eight.
On August 2, two firefighting helicopters collided in midair while battling a massive wildfire in Greece’s western Attica, according to Greek national broadcaster ERT.
The helicopters crashed near the coastal area of Psatha shortly after the collision, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.
The pilot of one helicopter managed to contact the Fire Service’s operations centre and reported that the co-pilot had been injured.
–IANS
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