Italian and Croatian Firefighting Planes Deployed to Greece

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Responding to a call for assistance through the European Civil Protection Mechanism, two Italian Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft are en route to Greece. The planes will be battling the intense wildfires currently ravaging the Peloponnese region.

A plane is also being sent by Croatia.

The blaze near Xylokastro in the Peloponnese region, fanned by strong winds, was mostly controlled by 350 firefighters and water-dropping aircraft.

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The victims, believed to be locals, were found badly burned.

Greece has seen 27 forest fires erupt in 24 hours, prompting a red alert in several regions.

No major property damage was reported.

Greece battles thousands of wildfires annually, with 4,500 fires this year, a sharp increase from last year’s figures.