Greek authorities ordered thousands to evacuate from different parts of the southern island of Crete, one of the country’s most popular tourist spots, where wildfires burned uncontrollably on Thursday. Firefighters were struggling to contain the blaze as gale-force winds fueled the flames.
Officials said people were evacuated from hotels and residential homes overnight after the fire erupted Wednesday afternoon near Ierapetra, on the island’s southern coast, and continued to burn.
Giorgos Tzarakis, the head of the hoteliers’ association of Ierapetra and southeastern Crete, told local media about 5,000 people in the area had been evacuated, with most of them being tourists who had traveled to the island from abroad. They were sheltering at a sports venue in Ierapetra, CBS News partner BBC News reported
Residents of four villages in the area — Ferma, Katharades, Koutsounari and Kakia Skala — were ordered to evacuate. Meanwhile, Greece’s fire service said the blaze had split into three active fronts at Achlia, Ferma and Skinokapsala, BBC News reported.
BBC News also published video of the fire burning near the beach in Crete, sending a huge smoke plume into the air as beachgoers looked on. All hospitals in Crete were placed on alert as a precaution, according to the outlet.
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Author: Dillon B
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