Greece evacuates Athens suburb under wildfire threat / Photo: © AFP
-
US panel votes to end recommending all newborns receive hepatitis B vaccine
-
Title favourite Norris reflects on 'positive' Abu Dhabi practice
-
Stocks consolidate as US inflation worries undermine Fed rate hopes
-
Volcanic eruptions may have brought Black Death to Europe
-
Arsenal the ultimate test for in-form Villa, says Emery
-
Emotions high, hope alive after Nigerian school abduction
-
Another original Hermes Birkin bag sells for $2.86 mn
-
11 million flock to Notre-Dame in year since rising from devastating fire
-
Gymnast Nemour lifts lid on 'humiliation, tears' on way to Olympic gold
-
Lebanon president says country does not want war with Israel
-
France takes anti-drone measures after flight over nuclear sub base
-
Signing up to DR Congo peace is one thing, delivery another
-
'Amazing' figurines find in Egyptian tomb solves mystery
-
Palestinians say Israeli army killed man in occupied West Bank
-
McLaren will make 'practical' call on team orders in Abu Dhabi, says boss Brown
-
Stocks rise as investors look to more Fed rate cuts
-
Norris completes Abu Dhabi practice 'double top' to boost title bid
-
Chiba leads Liu at skating's Grand Prix Final
-
Meta partners with news outlets to expand AI content
-
Mainoo 'being ruined' at Man Utd: Scholes
-
Guardiola says broadcasters owe him wine after nine-goal thriller
-
Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery in deal of the decade
-
French stars Moefana and Atonio return for Champions Cup
-
Penguins queue in Paris zoo for their bird flu jabs
-
Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery for nearly $83 billion
-
Sri Lanka issues fresh landslide warnings as toll nears 500
-
Root says England still 'well and truly' in second Ashes Test
-
Chelsea's Maresca says rotation unavoidable
-
Italian president urges Olympic truce at Milan-Cortina torch ceremony
-
Norris edges Verstappen in opening practice for season-ending Abu Dhabi GP
-
Australia race clear of England to seize control of second Ashes Test
-
Stocks, dollar rise before key US inflation data
-
Trump strategy shifts from global role and vows 'resistance' in Europe
-
Turkey orders arrest of 29 footballers in betting scandal
-
EU hits X with 120-mn-euro fine, risking Trump ire
-
Arsenal's Merino has earned striking role: Arteta
-
Putin offers India 'uninterrupted' oil in summit talks with Modi
-
New Trump strategy vows shift from global role to regional
-
World Athletics ditches long jump take-off zone reform
-
French town offers 1,000-euro birth bonuses to save local clinic
-
After wins abroad, Syria leader must gain trust at home
-
Slot spots 'positive' signs at struggling Liverpool
-
Eyes of football world on 2026 World Cup draw with Trump centre stage
-
South Africa rugby coach Erasmus extends contract until 2031
-
Ex-Manchester Utd star Lingard announces South Korea exit
-
Australia edge ominously within 106 runs of England in second Ashes Test
-
Markets rise ahead of US data, expected Fed rate cut
-
McIlroy survives as Min Woo Lee surges into Australian Open hunt
-
German factory orders rise more than expected
-
India's Modi and Russia's Putin talk defence, trade and Ukraine
NYSE - LSE
| CMSC | -0.3% | 23.41 | $ | |
| RBGPF | 0% | 78.35 | $ | |
| NGG | -0.48% | 75.55 | $ | |
| GSK | -0.67% | 48.245 | $ | |
| BTI | -1.5% | 57.185 | $ | |
| AZN | 0.39% | 90.38 | $ | |
| SCS | -0.29% | 16.183 | $ | |
| BP | -2.62% | 36.28 | $ | |
| RYCEF | -0.96% | 14.51 | $ | |
| JRI | 0.22% | 13.78 | $ | |
| RIO | -0.18% | 73.6 | $ | |
| CMSD | -0.26% | 23.259 | $ | |
| BCE | 1.13% | 23.486 | $ | |
| VOD | -1.23% | 12.48 | $ | |
| BCC | -1.09% | 73.46 | $ | |
| RELX | -0.38% | 40.385 | $ |
Greece evacuates Athens suburb under wildfire threat
A wildfire whipped by gale-force winds blazed through vegetation in a southern suburb of Athens on Saturday, the fire brigade said, forcing residents to evacuate and damaging about 20 properties.
The Greek Civil Protection agency issued an emergency appeal via SMS for people to leave Ano Voula as the flames reached homes.
Officials reported no casualties but four more neighbourhoods were evacuated as the wind changed direction and drove the fire front towards the town of Vari, Grigoris Konstantelos, the mayor of Voula, told Skai TV.
Kostantelos said around 20 houses were damaged.
Six water-bombing aircrafts, three helicopters and municipal water tankers supported dozens of firefighters with 20 fire engines.
"The situation is very difficult and the wind does not help," said Giannis Konstantatos, mayor of Ellinikon-Argiroupoli, a neighbouring municipality.
"The atmosphere is suffocating, we have difficulty breathing," he told Athens News Agency.
Police told people to leave their homes in images broadcast by Ant1 TV.
The Fire Brigade told AFP that the wind has dropped a bit so they are hopeful that the fire will slow its pace.
Skai TV showed footage of a burning house with flames licking inside.
Giorgos Papanikolaou, the mayor of Glyfada, where the fire first broke out, said it began at a high voltage electricity power station, according to the agency.
Later in the afternoon, a second fire broke out near Athens, in the village of Kouvaras but residential areas were not under threat.
Late in the day, the Fire Brigade told AFP that the wind has dropped raising hopes the spread of the fire will slow.
Last summer, Greece's most severe heatwave in decades, which authorities blamed on climate change, saw fires destroy more than 100,000 hectares of forest and farmland, the country's worst wildfire damage since 2007.
More than 200 firefighters and technical equipment provided by European Union countries will be soon deployed to Greece to help boost the battle against large wildfires.
Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Romania and Norway will take part in the deployment, coordinated by the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism.
O.Krause--BTB
