65 Dead as Algeria Wildfire Damage Spreads... Greece Begins to Gain Control

Wildfires Continue Amid Mediterranean Heatwave... Hundreds of Cases Reported
Greece Evia Island Wildfire Begins to Be Contained After 9 Days

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Following Turkey and Greece, large wildfires have broken out in North African countries Algeria and Tunisia due to the heatwave along the Mediterranean coast. In Algeria, the number of deaths has risen to 65 just three days after the fires began, with the affected areas rapidly expanding. The wildfire on Evia Island near Athens, Greece, which threatened the city, is reported to have started being contained after nine days.

According to foreign media including the AP on the 11th (local time), Algerian authorities announced that at least 65 people have died so far, including 37 civilians and 28 soldiers deployed to fight the fires, due to about 100 fires nationwide over three days. Among the wildfires that have spread to 17 provinces, about 60 are still uncontrolled.

In neighboring Tunisia, around 150 wildfires have been reported mainly in the northern region, with no casualties reported yet. The AP reported that North African Mediterranean countries such as Algeria and Tunisia are experiencing natural ignitions and spreading wildfires as daytime high temperatures recently soared to 46 to 49 degrees Celsius in various locations.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the wildfire on Evia Island near Athens, the capital of Greece, is reported to have started being contained after nine days. According to AFP, Yanis Kontzias, mayor of Istiaia, said in a statement that day, "The flames are gradually being controlled, and sunlight, which had been blocked by thick smoke, has appeared for the first time in several days."

Evia Island is the second largest island in Greece and is adjacent to the capital Athens. There had been concerns that if the wildfire continued to spread, the entire city of Athens could be engulfed in flames. Consequently, hundreds of firefighters were dispatched from across Western Europe, including the UK, France, and the Czech Republic. Nicolas Foret, a firefighter dispatched from France, told AFP in an interview, "When I first arrived, I thought the whole of Greece was on fire."

In Greece, more than 500 wildfires have simultaneously occurred over the past week, including on Evia Island. The tourism industry, which had been stagnant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to suffer even greater damage from these wildfires, raising concerns about worsening economic difficulties.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.