Greece: Wildfires near Corinth kill 2 people

Two men were killed in a wildfire in a mountainous area in central Greece near Corinth, 140 kilometers (87 miles) west of Athens, officials said Monday.

Anastasios Giolis, deputy governor of Corinth, told public broadcaster ERT that the two had died while fighting the flames. He called it a "tragic accident."

Greek police spokeswoman Constantina Dimoglidou said that the bodies recovered were badly burned and that laboratory tests were needed to identify them.

The fire brigade has launched an investigation, the officials said.

Several villages evacuated

The fire broke out on Sunday and spread rapidly due to strong winds, which made it "difficult to control," according to the fire brigade.

The fire forced the evacuation of several villages, including Pyrgos, Elliniko and Kallithea.

Hundreds of firefighters, 15 vehicles, seven water bombers and three helicopters were deployed to fight the blaze, the fire service said.

Climate change leaves large areas dry

Many regions of Greece were under an orange fire alert on Sunday and Monday as winds reached speeds of 50 to 75 kilometers per hour.

This year's summer wildfire season in Greece has seen daily blazes after the Mediterranean country experienced its warmest winter and hottest June and July since reliable data began in 1960, leaving large areas with little or no rain.

In August, a massive fire near Marathon, 40 kilometers northeast of Athens, killed one person and forced thousands to flee their homes.

dh/nm (AFP, Reuters)