A 55-year-old American was found died on the Greek island of Mathraki, northwest of Corfu, police reported Monday. This is the third death of a tourist in a week, following a period of extreme weather in the country and other parts of the world.
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The temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius earlier this month, just as the holiday season began on the remote beaches, ancient sites and mountain trails of Greece. The first heat wave coincided with a series of tourist disappearances and deaths across the Mediterranean country, highlighting the dangers of heat exposure.
The first heat wave coincided with a series of disappearances and deaths of tourists throughout the Mediterranean country.
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“There is a common pattern: everyone went hiking in high temperatures,” said Petros Vassilakis, spokesman for the South Aegean police.
The body of the British television presenter Michael Mosley was found on the island of Symi on June 9, after a four-day search operation using planes, drones and boats. He had gone for a walk alone in high temperatures before disappearing. Police did not share the identity of the dead American, whose body was found near a beach in Mathraki on Sunday. He was transferred to the island of Corfu, where an autopsy will be performed.
Michael Mosley (67), a BBC journalist who popularized the 5:2 fasting diet, found dead a few days ago on the Greek island of Symi
He had been gone on a long hike on the coast for several hours in the 37C (98.6F) heat. The heat was estimated to be 10C higher on the rocks pic.twitter.com/Pj3qpaPx0T
— Siim Land (@siimland) June 12, 2024
Separately, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found dead on the island of Samos on Saturday. Additionally, two hikers were found dead in Crete on June 5.
Rescuers are also searching for two French women, aged 73 and 64, on the island of Sikinos, and a 59-year-old American police officer in Amorgos. “There are two search operations underway on other islands. Police, firefighters and volunteers have been deployed, assisted by a drone and a rescue dog,” Vassilakis said.
Η #φωτιά που ξέσπασε το μεσημέρι στη Βαρυμπόμπη ξύπνησε εφιαλτικές μνήμες. Κινητοποιήθηκαν άμεσα 11 οχήματα, 45 πυροσβέστες, 3 αεροσκάφη και 3 ερα. Οι δυνάμεις Πολιτικής Προστασίας αντιμετωπισαν μια πυρκαγιά που εξαπλων όταν ταχύτατα λόγω των καιρικών συνθηκών και κατάφεραν… pic.twitter.com/m0nDg2kfAr
— Vassilis Kikilias (@Vkikilias) June 20, 2024
The extreme temperatures come as at least 800 Muslim pilgrims died during the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.due to the scorching heat that reached 51.8 degrees Celsius.
Millions of people in the United States were under extreme heat alerts, while cities like Chicago broke records. The National Weather Service described the situation as “a dangerous and long-lasting heat wave,” which was expected to affect from Iowa to Maine at least through Friday.
Fires in Greece
Dozens of forest fires have broken out in Greece in recent days amid scorching summer temperatures. Several people were arrested and charged with accidentally setting the flames. Dozens of firefighters and air tankers were trying to contain a large forest fire on the outskirts of Athens which forced authorities to issue evacuation orders on Wednesday for two nearby settlements.
A fire broke out in an olive grove shortly after 4 pm outside the village of Moria, a few kilometers from Mytilene, on the island of Lesvos.
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Television images showed flames tearing through low bushes and olive trees in a sparsely inhabited area near Vari, about 30 kilometers south of central Athens. Fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said the fire spread very quickly due to strong winds that sometimes reached gale force.
“When necessary, residents are removed from their homes with the help of the police,” he reported. At this time, no injuries have been reported. State television ERT showed destroyed boats in a parking area for yachts and boats, while media reported that several businesses and two houses were damaged.
Authorities have urged residents to evacuate an area on the outskirts of Athens where a large forest fire has been fanned by strong winds.
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The fire service said more than 70 elements, assisted by 13 planes and helicopters that dropped water, They were working to control the fire. “In the last few hours we have constantly had new fires, almost one every ten minutes,” said the fire service spokesperson. “Most were treated immediately.”
Authorities have warned of a particularly high fire risk this summer after a hot, dry winter that has left vegetation dry. Firefighters and aircraft were battling another large fire in the southern Peloponnese region on Wednesday, and authorities ordered the evacuation of a village. Another forest fire was burning on the island of Naxos in the Aegean Sea. Earlier, firefighters said they had brought under control another fire near Markopoulo, east of Athens, and on the island of Evia.
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*This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence based on information from the EFE and AP agency and was reviewed by a journalist and an editor.
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