Hospital patients in Greece were forced to evacuate as wildfires continue to ravage the country amidst an extreme heatwave. As a new heatwave hits southern Europe, hot, dry, and windy conditions have been linked to climate change by scientists. France, Italy, Spain, and other countries are also experiencing similar weather conditions.
In Alexandroupolis, a port city in northeastern Greece, a ferry was transformed into a makeshift hospital to evacuate 65 patients, including newborn babies, from the University Hospital. Nearby clinics also transported patients with the help of ambulances.
The situation on the ground was chaotic, with elderly patients lying on mattresses scattered across the cafeteria floor and paramedics attending to others on stretchers. One woman was seen holding a man who was resting on a sofa, an IV drip attached to his hand. Nurse Nikos Gioktsidis, who has been working for 27 years, described the scene as unimaginable, comparing it to a war zone.
Several communities in the Evros region, near the border with Turkey, have been evacuated due to the ongoing risk of new fires. Tragically, the burned body of a man believed to be a migrant was discovered in a rural area near Alexandroupolis.
Meanwhile, Spain and Italy are also combating wildfires in their respective countries. In Spain, a large wildfire on the island of Tenerife has been burning for a week and continues to challenge authorities’ efforts to control it. The blaze has already scorched 15,000 hectares, leading to thousands of evacuations. Similarly, Italy witnessed around 700 evacuations as a fire broke out on the Tuscan island of Elba.
Italy is also grappling with scorching temperatures, prompting red alerts in 16 of the country’s main cities. France has likewise issued red alerts in certain regions, allowing authorities to cancel events and close public facilities if necessary.
As the heatwave intensifies and extreme weather becomes more frequent, it is evident that climate change is a major contributing factor. The need for sustainable measures to mitigate these events is becoming increasingly urgent.
