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Cyprus wildfire: Two die in burned car as 44C heat expected | Cyprus wildfire: Two die in burned car as 44C heat expected |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Two people have died in a car in a wildfire which has torn through southern Cyprus amid soaring temperatures which are expected to climb to 44C on Thursday. | Two people have died in a car in a wildfire which has torn through southern Cyprus amid soaring temperatures which are expected to climb to 44C on Thursday. |
Cypriot police said two charred bodies were found in a burnt out vehicle after the blaze started in the village of Malia in the Limassol district on Wednesday afternoon. | Cypriot police said two charred bodies were found in a burnt out vehicle after the blaze started in the village of Malia in the Limassol district on Wednesday afternoon. |
The bodies are yet to be formally identified, but local media reports say the car belonged to a 77-year-old woman who had been reported missing. The pair are understood to be an elderly couple from the area. | The bodies are yet to be formally identified, but local media reports say the car belonged to a 77-year-old woman who had been reported missing. The pair are understood to be an elderly couple from the area. |
More than a dozen other people have been treated for injuries related to the fire, which has already destroyed homes and ravaged 100 sq km (40 sq m) of land. | More than a dozen other people have been treated for injuries related to the fire, which has already destroyed homes and ravaged 100 sq km (40 sq m) of land. |
More than 250 firefighters were deployed to battle the fire, which has been fanned by strong winds on soaring temperatures. | More than 250 firefighters were deployed to battle the fire, which has been fanned by strong winds on soaring temperatures. |
The country's Department of Meteorology has issued an extreme maximum temperature alert for Thursday, with a high of 44C expected in inland areas. | The country's Department of Meteorology has issued an extreme maximum temperature alert for Thursday, with a high of 44C expected in inland areas. |
Cyprus Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis said there were "no active fronts" in the fire, but "flare-ups" continued in the area. | Cyprus Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis said there were "no active fronts" in the fire, but "flare-ups" continued in the area. |
Several communities have been left without electricity or air conditioning as a result of the blaze, which tore through properties. | Several communities have been left without electricity or air conditioning as a result of the blaze, which tore through properties. |
"When I entered my house, I saw the mountain and the valley full of flames," Antonis Christou, who lives in Kandou, one of the villages affected by the fire, told the AFP agency. | "When I entered my house, I saw the mountain and the valley full of flames," Antonis Christou, who lives in Kandou, one of the villages affected by the fire, told the AFP agency. |
"I cried, really I cried, because people got burnt". | "I cried, really I cried, because people got burnt". |
Neighbouring countries have been asked to support the firefighting effort by the Cypriot government. | Neighbouring countries have been asked to support the firefighting effort by the Cypriot government. |
Cyprus has requested support for its firefighting effort through the European Union's civil protection mechanism. | Cyprus has requested support for its firefighting effort through the European Union's civil protection mechanism. |
Spain is expected to send two aircraft on Thursday, government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said. | Spain is expected to send two aircraft on Thursday, government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said. |
Two firefighting aircraft are on standby in Jordan, while two more are expected from Spain, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told public broadcaster CyBC. | Two firefighting aircraft are on standby in Jordan, while two more are expected from Spain, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told public broadcaster CyBC. |
Witness testimony which suggests the fire was started deliberately has been passed onto police by the fire service. | Witness testimony which suggests the fire was started deliberately has been passed onto police by the fire service. |
Europe has faced searing temperatures this summer during heatwaves, with wildfires also taking hold in the Greek island of Crete, Turkey and Spain. | Europe has faced searing temperatures this summer during heatwaves, with wildfires also taking hold in the Greek island of Crete, Turkey and Spain. |
Cyprus, which is facing a drought, is routinely hit by wildfires during the summer months. | Cyprus, which is facing a drought, is routinely hit by wildfires during the summer months. |
In 2021, four Egyptian farm workers died in a wildfire which burned an area of around 55 sq km (21 sq m) in the Limassol district. | In 2021, four Egyptian farm workers died in a wildfire which burned an area of around 55 sq km (21 sq m) in the Limassol district. |
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