Firefighters in Greece have discovered the charred bodies of 18 people believed to be migrants, as wildfires continue to ravage the country. The bodies were found near the city of Alexandroupolis, close to the Turkish border, as firefighters battle numerous blazes across Greece amid strong winds. This tragic find comes after two deaths and injuries to firefighters in separate fires in northern and central Greece on Monday. Southern European countries often face a high risk of wildfires during hot, dry summers, and the European Union has attributed the increasing frequency and intensity of such fires to climate change. Greece has invoked the country’s Disaster Victim Identification Committee to investigate the 18 bodies. Authorities are also considering the possibility that the individuals entered the country illegally, as there have been no reports of missing persons in the area. The city of Alexandroupolis is a common point of entry into the European Union for individuals fleeing poverty and conflict in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou expressed her grief over the tragic deaths and called for effective measures to prevent wildfires from becoming a new normality. The area where the bodies were found, along with several nearby villages and settlements, had been under evacuation orders. The fire service is working with the police and Secret Service to investigate the cause of the fire. In recent days, several people have been arrested or fined for accidentally starting fires. However, the discovery of the bodies has led to some backlash, with accusations against migrants for arson.
As the wildfires rage on, Greece has sought assistance from the European Union’s civil protection mechanism. Firefighting forces from Croatia, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Cyprus have been deployed to Greece, along with water landing planes and helicopters. In Spain, wildfires have been burning for a week in Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands, and have already consumed a third of the island’s forested area. Over 12,000 people have been evacuated from the region. Meanwhile, Italy has evacuated 700 individuals from the Tuscan island of Elba due to a fire. Turkey has also evacuated nine villages in the province of Canakkale, reducing sea traffic in the Dardanelles Strait in preparation for firefighting ships.
Throughout Europe, an unusually high number of fires have occurred this summer, surpassing the annual average over the past 16 years. These fires have not only caused human casualties but have also resulted in the destruction of forested areas that play a significant role in absorbing carbon dioxide. The situation concerning wildfires appears to be worsening globally, with Canada, America, Africa, Asia, and Australia also affected. The impact of climate change is believed to be a contributing factor to the increasing severity and frequency of wildfires worldwide. It is crucial for governments and international organizations to focus on implementing effective measures to combat this growing threat.
