Two dead, hundreds evacuated from fires on island near Athens

Two people have died and hundreds have been evacuated from a Greek island near Athens due to fast-moving fires. The fires broke out on the island of Salamina, which was under high wildfire risk. According to MyJoyOnline Ghana, the first fire started at 14:40 local time near the south coast and spread quickly due to high winds, followed by a second fire 20 minutes later in the east.

The fires swept through two popular beaches, with many elderly residents present. Nine people require care for burns, as reported by The Times of Israel. More than 360 people have been evacuated by sea, with five patrol boats and several private vessels assisting in the effort. Around 200 firefighters, along with aircraft and 50 fire engines, are working to contain the fires.

The fires are in a mixed residential and forested area in Peristeria and the eastern town of Selinia. Firefighters have found two bodies at the scene of the first blaze. The operation is being assisted by water tankers and construction machinery, with firefighters trying to prevent the fires from merging into a single blaze.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, MyJoyOnline Ghana — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.