Greece wildfires: Reports say at least 50 dead
According to BBC news At least 50 people are feared dead in wildfires burning in the Attica region around Athens, in Greece's worst fire crisis in more than a decade.
According to the Red Cross, 26 bodies were found in the yard of a villa in the seaside village of Mati, which is at the centre of the disaster.
Before news of the grim discovery, the official death toll stood at 24.
As part of a huge rescue effort, emergency workers used boats and helicopters to evacuate a beach.
Fires are a recurring problem during the hot, dry summer months in Attica. The flames this week were fanned by high winds.
Buses, water trucks and machinery are being provided to help battle the fires. Stavros Fotiou, vice mayor of the town of Megara, said: "The fire rages unabated. "We urge residents to head towards Corinth to protect themselves and their children." Officials quoted by AFP news agency have suggested the current blazes may have been started by arsonists looking to loot abandoned homes.
According to the Red Cross, 26 bodies were found in the yard of a villa in the seaside village of Mati, which is at the centre of the disaster.
Before news of the grim discovery, the official death toll stood at 24.
As part of a huge rescue effort, emergency workers used boats and helicopters to evacuate a beach.
Fires are a recurring problem during the hot, dry summer months in Attica. The flames this week were fanned by high winds.
Buses, water trucks and machinery are being provided to help battle the fires. Stavros Fotiou, vice mayor of the town of Megara, said: "The fire rages unabated. "We urge residents to head towards Corinth to protect themselves and their children." Officials quoted by AFP news agency have suggested the current blazes may have been started by arsonists looking to loot abandoned homes.