Large wildfires in southern Cyprus have killed two people. Hundreds of people have been evacuated. The temperature rose to 43 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. The strong wind makes the fire difficult to control.
The fire started on Wednesday in the mountains just above the city of Limassol, in the south of the island. The fire spread quickly due to high temperatures and strong winds. The fire is expected to worsen on Thursday, as temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius are forecast.
In the night from Wednesday to Thursday, two bodies were found in a burnt-out car between the villages of Monagri and Alassa. Another fifteen people were injured by the fires, local media write. Houses have also been destroyed and fifteen villages are without electricity.
Furthermore, the authorities are trying to evacuate people near Lofou, about 26 kilometers from where the fire started. That evacuation has not yet been successful.
In the village, a group of people were trapped in the square of a primary school. The police wanted to take them away by bus, but they ran into a “wall of fire” and had to return. About thirty people spent the night on the schoolyard.
Water supplies are running out
Fire-fighting planes had to stop their work on Wednesday evening when it got dark, but will take off again on Thursday morning. Cyprus has requested assistance from the European Union. Spain has pledged to send two fire-fighting planes. Jordan is also stepping in to help.
The island below Turkey is suffering from drought due to the high temperatures. The water supply is starting to run out, writes news agency Reuters. The fire is located near the island’s largest water reservoir. It is currently 15 percent full.