Wildfires near Athens recede as wind eases
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In Northern Attica, two children's hospitals were evacuated following the order of the General Secretariat of Civil Protection.
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This NASA handout shows a satellite image of smoke trails from the fires consuming several parts of the Greek capital of Athens, Aug. 23, 2009. [Xinhua] |
Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis flew in Sunday morning by helicopter to the disaster areas. "We are facing a great ordeal," said Karamanlis, "The fire department is making a superhuman effort."
The fires were reminiscent of those in 2007, when a series of wildfires claimed 77 lives in the country. The fires were a great test to Karamanlis' conservative government, challenged by opposition parties amid dwindling popularity.
The socialist opposition PASOK party, ahead in opinion polls, has said they will force a snap poll in March, when parliament elects a new president.
Karamanlis' government has been accused of being slow in implementing reforms needed to boost the economy, and it is also agonizing from simmering violence after the country's worst riots in decades at the end of last year.
Opposition parties blamed the rampant fires and the huge losses on inadequate government responses. "Disorganization, indifference, criminal negligence gave the final blow to Attica," said the liberal daily Eleftherotypia.
A public prosecutor has ordered an inquiry into whether the fires were caused by arson, which was not new to the country as there were past experiences that developers set fires to obtain lands.
Hot summers in southern Europe have always been dangerous with a high probability of wildfires. In Italy, a fire broke out on Wednesday in the protected woodlands of Sicily's Mount Etna National Park, the Italian forestry service reported.
The Mount Etna National Park covers more than 58,000 hectares of land around the largest active volcano in Europe. In addition to spectacular lava flows, the reserve also boasts a large stretch of forestland, home to a lot of wildlife.
In Spain, some 84,000 hectares have been damaged by wildfires this summer, according to officials from the Spanish Environment Ministry. Eleven people were killed in the fires, including nine firefighters.
