Three individuals, among them two visitors from Vietnam, lost their lives in Greece on Friday when strong winds fueled wildfires and caused disruptions to ferry services affecting tens of thousands of vacationers during the summer season.
Over 200 firefighters, supported by 11 aerial water tankers and seven helicopters, were fighting a fire near Keratea, south of Athens, according to Costas Tsigkas, president of the association of Greek firefighting officials.
ERT
state television.
“He mentioned it was a challenging blaze,” he stated, referring to strong winds and noting that multiple areas had been vacated.
Firefighters found the remains of an older individual within their scorched house in Keratea, with strong winds affecting the operation of aerial firefighting units, according to Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesperson for the fire department, during a media update.
An
AFP
A journalist from the neighboring town of Palaia Fokaia, approximately 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Athens, witnessed flames engulfing a home and dense smoke filling the atmosphere.
Emergency responders were running quickly to position hoses and extinguish the fire, as a helicopter flew above to release water.
Previously, another fire on the island of Cephalonia had been contained, according to local authorities, whereas Vathrakogiannis stated that conditions “have improved” on the Peloponnese peninsula located west of Athens.
The Ministry of Civil Protection stated that wind speeds could peak at 88 kilometers per hour, particularly in the southern Aegean region and the Sea of Crete.
The National Weather Service EMY stated that the wind speeds would decrease after midnight, yet the Civil Protection Ministry issued the highest wildfire alerts for multiple regions on Saturday, such as the Attica area, which encompasses Athens.
Earlier, the coast guard reported that a Vietnamese man and woman from a cruise ship tour group had passed away at Sarakiniko Beach on the tourist island of Milos in the Cyclades.
“A man and a woman were discovered lying unconsciously in the water and were transported to the nearby medical facility,” stated a spokesperson from the coast guard.
A woman slipped into the water, and the man seemingly attempted to rescue her.
‘Left stranded’
Strong winds forced numerous ferries to remain in port, disrupting the primary means of transportation that links thousands of islands and supports their vital tourism industry.
The coastguard stated that the majority of ferry services could not leave on time from Piraeus and other Athenian harbors, particularly heading towards the Cyclades or Dodecanese islands. Some trips were cancelled while others were delayed.
In Piraeus, many passengers gathered outside a boat heading towards the Cyclades’ islands of Paros and Naxos, hoping for updates about an upcoming sail.
Close by, travelers who were stuck gathered around backpacks and luggage, forming a long line outside a ticket counter, making urgent phone calls in an attempt to change their plans and salvage their trips.
“there are long queues, lots of chaos, everyone is waiting under the sun and it’s a really difficult situation,” said Philip Elias, an American visitor.
Maritime links with the Saronic islands close to Athens, such as Aegina, Hydra, Poros, and Spetses, along with the Ionian Sea remained undisturbed, according to the coastguard.
Greece typically experiences strong winds during this season, with fire crews having dealt with multiple significant fires this summer, such as those on the islands of Evia and Chios, along with incidents in the western part of the Peloponnese.