Two people have died after being trapped by flames on Andromachis Street, near the point where one of two near-simultaneous fires broke out on the island of Salamina, Greece, according to the Fire Service.
Fatalities and rapid fire spread
The Director of Strategic Planning and Communication at the Fire Service Headquarters, Chief Fire Officer Vasileios Vathrakogiannis, said at an emergency briefing that the fire had spread rapidly within seven minutes, on a day with a fire risk index of 4 and very strong winds. The two people who died were trapped by the flames before firefighters were able to reach the scene. Vathrakogiannis said the two fires broke out almost simultaneously, and issued an appeal to residents to strictly follow the instructions of the relevant authorities in the event of fire.
Sea evacuation operation
Vasilis Kikilias, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, said in a post on X that while Civil Protectionforces battled the fires, the Hellenic Coast Guard was operating from the sea with seven patrol boats, aiming to safely remove residents from threatened areas.
According to the Coast Guard, 502 people have now been evacuated from the coastal areas of Saterli and Kolones in Salamina, as part of the large-scale operation under way due to the fires on the island. Those evacuated have been transferred onto four passenger-vehicle ferries. Of the total number rescued, 362 people are being transported aboard one ferry to the port of Faneromeni, in order to disembark safely.
Operation ongoing
The sea evacuation operation is continuing, with Coast Guard forces remaining on heightened alert in the affected coastal areas of Salamina.
