Two Greek air force pilots have died after a plane crashed
while fighting wildfires on the Greek island of Evia, officials say.
The water-bombing plane crashed while battling a forest fire
near Platanistos, the defence ministry said.
The pilots were named as 34-year-old Cdr Christos Moulas and
his co-pilot, 27-year-old Pericles Stefanidis.
An intense European heatwave has also sparked wildfires
across Sicily, Algeria and Tunisia.
Greek TV showed the Canadair aircraft flying low to drop
water on a fire before turning sharply into a hillside and bursting into
flames.
State broadcaster ERT said the plane crashed over the town
of Karystos on the island, where a fire was burning.
The plane was among at least three other aircraft and about
100 firefighters tackling fires on Evia.
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said the pilots lost their
lives "in the line of duty... while attempting to protect the lives and
property of citizens, as well as the environment of our country".
A three-day mourning period has been declared in the Greek
armed forces, the defence ministry said.
Rescuers at the site of the plane crash after a water drop in Platanistos on the island of Evia, Greece
Emergency teams were fighting flames non-stop on dozens of
fronts on Tuesday, Greek government minister Vassilis Kikilias said.
Crete, the largest Greek island, has been put on high alert,
with residents warned there is an "extreme risk" of fire.
More evacuation flights are taking place from Rhodes, while
more than 20,000 people have been evacuated from homes and resorts in recent
days.
An international panel of scientists has said the current
conditions could not possibly have happened without human-caused climate
change.
Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, the Italian island of Sicily
has been battling fires overnight after weeks of record-breaking temperatures.
Local media warned that the city of Palermo was
"encircled" by fires, including a blaze that forced the temporary
closure of Palermo airport on Tuesday.
Northern Italy has been reeling from violent storms and high
winds that have uprooted trees and lifted roofs off buildings.
In some places, tennis ball-sized hailstones injured
people, damaged cars and destroyed crops.
Firefighters are battling flames near the village of Vati on the island of Rhodes in Greece
Algeria has also been battling to control wildfires along
its Mediterranean coast that have killed at least 34 people.
A number of people suffered burn injuries and smoke
inhalation, while more than 1,500 were evacuated from fires in 16 provinces.
An outbreak of 97 fires had mostly been brought under
control, but 13 were still raging on Tuesday afternoon, the interior ministry
said.
In neighbouring Tunisia, where temperatures up to 49C (120F)
were recorded, officials said authorities were investigating the causes of
forest fires that had broken out across the country in recent days.
One of the most severe fires in Maloula, near the Algerian
border, has been brought under control after thousands were evacuated.
A forestry official has called for anyone found to have
started the fires deliberately to be prosecuted "with an iron fist".
By Emily McGarvey || BBC News
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