Michael Varaklas and Derek Gatopoulos, Associated PressWARNING; DISTURBING: Video from a state TV newscast shows a firefighting plane crashing in southern Greece on Tuesday as authorities battled fires across the country.A Greek air force water-dropping plane crashed while diving into a wildfire in southern Greece on Tuesday, with both pilots feared dead, as authorities battled blazes that have been raging for days across the country amid a return of heat wave temperatures.
A third successive heat wave in Greece pushed temperatures back above 40 degrees Celsius across parts of the country Tuesday amid a string of evacuations from fires that have raged out of control for days, whipped on by strong winds. A Greek fire service spokesman said the worst blazes on Tuesday were on the southeastern island of Rhodes and the northwestern island of Corfu -- both which are popular tourist destinations.
"For the twelfth day, under extreme conditions of heat and strong winds, we are fighting nonstop on dozens of forest fire fronts. ... The Greek Fire Service has battled more than 500 fires -- more than 50 a day," said Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for climate crisis and civil protection. In a series of online posts, Sumakovic described frantic scenes as she and Petrusev escaped the fire.
Two full charter flights were scheduled to depart from Sweden on Wednesday, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said. Tour operators said holidaymakers would be heading to resorts in the so-far unaffected northern part of Rhodes.