Two dead and evacuation under way as fires break out on Greek island

Smoke rises in Salamina during wildfire as seen from Agistri island

Image source, ReutersImage caption,

The fires broke out almost simultaneously on a Greek island near Athens on Sunday

ByEmma Rossiter

Published22 minutes ago

Two people have died and an evacuation is under way after two fires broke out within minutes of each other on a Greek island near Athens.

Fire officials said nearly 200 firefighters were working to extinguish the flames on the island of Salamina and keep them from converging, Greek media report.

The first blaze was reported at 14:40 local time (12:40 GMT) and spread rapidly due to high winds, according to officials on the island - which was under a high wildfire risk on Sunday.

Some 90 people have so far been evacuated by sea, a coastguard spokesman told Greek broadcaster ERT.

Five patrol boats have been sent to the area and several other private vessels are being made available for assistance, he added.

A number of aircraft and 50 fire engines have been deployed to the blaze.

Salamina Deputy Mayor Thodoris Zannis said firefighters were trying to keep the fires from burning over a mountain on the island and forming one major wildfire.

Salamina sits just west of Athens and has some 37,000 residents, many of them elderly.

Firefighters across Europe have been facing a series of wildfires this weekend, fuelled by high heat.