An elderly couple has died and several people were injured after fast-moving wildfires swept through Greece’s Salamina island, west of Athens, during the country’s busy summer holiday weekend.
More than 500 people were evacuated as strong winds pushed the flames through residential areas, damaging homes. Five people were treated at a local health clinic.
About 192 firefighters, 14 aircraft and helicopters, volunteers and water tankers were deployed to battle the fires, while coast guard and firefighting vessels stood by for possible sea evacuations.
The fires erupted as Greece faced a high wildfire risk, with prolonged heat and drought across Europe leaving vegetation extremely dry and contributing to major fires in Greece, Spain and France.
Authorities had not immediately determined the cause of the Salamina fires.
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