New fires threaten area around
Photo: Michael Varaklas /AP/TT

New fires threaten area around Athens as Greece battles worst blazes in a decade

More than 12,000 hectares of forest and land have been destroyed in fires in Greece over the past week, with authorities warning that the area around Athens is still at risk.

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More than 1,000 people have been evacuated, 250 of them by boat, in the Attica region.

Wind conditions improved slightly on Monday, but authorities are warning of new fires near the town of Megara, about 30 kilometres west of Athens.

The fire service says 450 firefighters are battling the fires, supported by 12 helicopters and 16 firefighting planes.

More than 12,000 hectares of forest and land have been destroyed in the fires over the past week, according to the EU's climate service Copernicus. A forest fire expert speaking to AFP says this fire season is one of the worst in the past decade.

On Sunday, two crew members died after two helicopters collided in the Psatha area west of the capital.

AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers
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