Kythera island declared in state of emergency amid raging wildfire

Kythera island in the southwestern Aegean Sea was declared in a state of emergency on Saturday night due to a raging wildfire that burns since Friday, Greece's Civil Protection Service announced on Sunday.


One firefighter has been injured battling the blaze, according to Greek national news agency AMNA, as the local Fire service has been reinforced with dozens of men and aerial means from across Greece.

More than 80 fire men assisted by 30 vehicles, three water dropping helicopters, one water dropping aircraft and more than 80 soldiers in addition to dozens local volunteers were trying to contain the flames on Sunday, according to a Fire Brigade announcement.

Two settlements have been evacuated for precautionary reasons from Saturday, according to the fire service which has still not given an estimate on the destruction.

So far no homes have been damaged, but hundreds of acres of mainly low vegetation have been scorched, according to local officials, and parts of the island faced power cuts.
  [china.org.cn/Xinhua]
 7/8/17