STORY: :: Tourists are evacuated overnight as wildfires continue to rage on the Greek island of Kos
:: July 2, 2024
:: July 1, 2024
:: Kos, Greece
:: Alan Boyle
:: Kos TV
As the wildfire reached the seaside village of Kardamaina overnight, people took refuge in a sports center and other venues, Christos Efstratiou, deputy governor for the Dodecanese islands, told Reuters.
The wildfire had abated by Tuesday morning, letting people return, and there was no damage to buildings, Efstratiou said.
More than 100 firefighters, assisted by a helicopter, were still tackling the blaze to stop it flaring up again, the fire brigade said.
Wildfires are common in the eastern Mediterranean country. But hotter, drier and windier weather that scientists link to the effects of climate change has increased their frequency and intensity.