Two new major wildfires broke out on Saturday, one in the northern part of the Ionian Island of Corfu and the other in the low mountain ridge above the west Corinth Gulf coastal city of Egio (Aigio), while a massive and devastating continued to blaze in south central Rhodes, the popular holiday island in the southeast Aegean.
A fourth wildfire draining fire-fighting personnel and vehicles erupted in extreme southeast Evia Island, east of the harbor town of Karystos in a rugged and remote region.
An evacuation was ordered for four villages in northern Corfu and four sparsely populated settlements in southeast Evia.
Meanwhile on Rhodes, the foreign affairs ministry set up a help desk for foreign nationals at the island’s airport in order to facilitate and coordinate the departure of holiday-makers who are without travel documents. Many visitors left behind their belongings due to their rapid evacuation from several hotels in the fire-ravaged areas.
Telephone numbers for the help desk are (+30) 6985889650 (+30) 6983209611, as well as (+30) 6977960941 for special emergencies. The latter can be reached on Whatspp.
Along with a sizable contingent of local fire-fighters, vehicles and water-dropping aircraft, the days-long operation on Rhodes is also aided by 31 firefighters from Slovakia with four water tankers, two firefighting aircraft from France, another two from Turkey and one from Croatia.
The evacuation effort on Rhodes involved some 19,000 people, 3,000 of which were taken off beaches by boats, the large such operation in modern Greek history, according to law enforcement authorities.
In a related development, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday called Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to express her support for the country.
“I called Kyriakos Mitsotakis to express our full support for Greece, which is confronted with devastating forest fires and a heavy heat wave due to climate change,” von der Leyen said in a post on her Twitter account.
“Greece is handling this difficult situation with professionalism, putting emphasis on safely evacuating thousands of tourists, and can always count on European solidarity. EU firefighters are already on the ground,” she noted.
An extreme (category 5) risk for wildfires and high alert-on will be in effect on Monday in several southern Greek regions, namely, the greater Athens-Piraeus region (Attica prefecture), central Greece (particularly Viotia prefecture and the large island of Evia), the Peloponnese, especially Ilia prefecture, and Rhodes.
στο Google News και μάθετε πρώτοι όλες τις ειδήσειςLatest News
Vardis Vardinogiannis: ‘On a Ship’s Bridge You Always Look Forward’
Ten milestones in the half century since the creation of Motor Oil Group, as described by Vardis Vardinogiannis, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91
DBRS Says Greek Banks ‘Shielded’ from ECB Rate Cuts
The agency explains that fund disbursements through the banking sector will help offset pressures anticipated on interest margins beginning in 2025, due to expected rate cuts by the European Central Bank (ECB).
Meta Cuts Facebook and Instagram Subscription Fees by 40%
The social media giant also revealed that it will continue to offer free access to Facebook and Instagram for EU users, provided they agree to see ads based on a limited set of user data.
Skyrocketing Use of Debit, Credit Cards
The total value of the transactions conducted with debit and credit cards in the country in the first half of 2024 rose 2% on the corresponding period of 2023
JP Morgan Revised Greece Outlook to ‘Overweight’
The investment bank notes that Greece is showing the strongest GDP growth in the Eurozone. Additionally, efforts to clear up bank balance sheets are anticipated to yield increased capital returns.
Vardis I. Vardinogiannis, Greek Tycoon and Shipping Magnate, Dies at 91
In 1990, Vardinogiannis was targeted in an attack which involved three rockets fired at his vehicle by the terrorist organization 17 November.
Kudos for Greek Sheep’s Milk Cheeses
Graviera is the Greek version of the Swiss gruyère, and is generally considered the second most popular cheese made in the country after feta
EIB Survey: Greeks Rank Climate Change as Top Concern After Cost of Living
Specifically, 98% of the Greeks surveyed stated that the country must to adapt to climate change, with 60% saying that priority should be given to these adjustment measures
Trump Tells Putin not to Escalate Ukraine War during Phone Convo
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, is preparing to lobby Trump against abandoning U.S. support for Kyiv
Former Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris Dies at 82
Boutaris entered politics in 2010, serving as the 60th mayor of Thessaloniki for two consecutive terms until 2019, becoming a transformative figure with his progressive policies.
