Greece battles wildfires as heatwave engulfs southeast Europe - in Pics!
A heat wave baking southeast Europe for the second week has triggered deadly fires in Greece, apart from countries like Turkey and Albania.
"The country is facing an unprecedented environmental crisis, with multiple large fires," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said after visiting the site where the Olympics were held in antiquity every four years from 776 BC for more than a millennium. More than a dozen villages were evacuated in the area. (Pic: Reuters)
Fire rages on just outside the birthplace of the ancient Olympics
Greece battled wildfires for third day but the site of ancient Olympics was saved. Wildfires rekindled outside Athens and forced more evacuations around southern Greece on Thursday (August 5) as weather conditions worsened and firefighters in a round-the-clock battle stopped the flames just outside the birthplace of the ancient Olympics. (Pic: Reuters)
Water-dropping planes and helicopters to the rescue
Greece's worst heat wave since 1987
Greece's Civil Protection Agency said the risk of fires across southern Greece would increase further on Friday (August 6), with windy weather forecast for parts of the country, despite an expected slight dip in temperatures that reached 45 degree celsius earlier this week. The heat wave was described as Greece's worst since 1987 (Pic: Reuters)
No deaths, but deadly destruction across Greece
