Two people have died and hundreds of residents and tourists were evacuated after two wildfires broke out nearly simultaneously on the Greek island of Salamis near Athens on Saturday. The bodies were discovered near Peristeria beach in the south of the island, fire officials said, adding that the victims had not yet been identified.
Strong winds, with gusts exceeding 100 kilometres per hour, hampered firefighting efforts as crews deployed aircraft, helicopters, and ground units. Authorities issued evacuation orders through the 112 emergency system and prepared coordinated sea evacuations with the coast guard, as hundreds of holidaymakers and permanent residents fled the blazes.
The fires on Salamis were among 34 new wildfires reported across Greece in the past 24 hours, the fire service said, as the wider Athens region faced extreme fire danger.