Monday, August 24, 2009

FIRE THREAT CITY OF ATHEN SUBURB


Residents of an entire Athens suburb have been ordered from their homes as out-of-control wildfires blaze around the Greek capital.
  • The 10,000 residents of Agios Stefanos, 23km (14 miles) north-east of Athens, were to leave the suburb immediately.
  • Fires have been burning in a wide arc north-east of Athens, pushed by strong and unpredictable winds.
  • The fires the worst since those in 2007 which killed about 70 people, are being called an environmental disaster.
  • Italy, France and Cyprus are sending aircraft to help the hard-pressed Greek fire crews.
  • Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has said the country is facing "a great ordeal" but has praised the emergency services for making "a superhuman effort".
  • Dozens of homes have been torched and authorities have declared a state of emergency in the Athens area but no casualties have been reported.
Source: BBC read more

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