Three firefighters have lost their lives in two separate incidents recorded on Wednesday in Greece, as the country continues to face severe wildfires in several areas.
According to the Greek Fire Service, two members of the Cretan fire brigade, aged 25 and 58, lost their lives in the Rethymno area, while trying to bring the flames under control.
According to preliminary information, the two firefighters were operating in an isolated area when they were surrounded by fire and could not escape. Later, police also found their vehicle completely burned out.
Two other firefighters suffered serious injuries and are in hospital, but according to authorities their lives are out of danger.
The third victim was recorded in the large fire in the area of Ghithios, in the Peloponnese.
He was the head of the regional fire department in Laconia. According to Greek police, the 30-year-old firefighter died of a heart attack caused by fatigue and high physical stress during the operation to extinguish the fire, which had engulfed hundreds of hectares of land for 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the battle with the flames continues with intensity in the Peloponnese, the island of Paros, Mytilene and Crete, where the fire has spread over a front of more than 15 kilometers between Rethymno and Chania.
Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers are working on the ground, while weather conditions remain extremely difficult, with temperatures reaching around 40 degrees Celsius and winds up to 8 on the Beaufort scale.
In the Chania area, around 2,000 tourists and residents were evacuated by sea on private boats and speedboats after authorities failed to provide them with a safe escape route by land.
The alarming situation is expected to continue for the next 48 hours. The Greek Civil Protection has warned of a high risk of fires in several areas of the country and has called on residents to exercise maximum caution and strictly follow the authorities' instructions in case of evacuation.
