Cyprus Sees Most Destructive Wildfires In Mediterranean Island's History

A huge forest blaze in Cyprus has killed four people, destroyed homes & forced evacuations of villages as Greece, Israel & other countries deployed fire-fighting planes to the Mediterranean island. The fire began on July 3 afternoon & has swept through districts in the southern foothills of the Troodos mountains as the country grapples with a blistering heatwave. "It is a tragedy," President Nicos Anastasiades said on Twitter. He described it as "the largest fire since 1974" when the island was divided after Turkey occupied its northern third. The blaze had caused loss of life and even destroyed property & forest lands, Anastasiades said, adding that "the government will provide immediate assistance to the victims and the families of the victims”. Firefighters were successful in bringing the main fire under control on July 4 morning, authorities told AFP, while warning that strengthening winds could yet propel a resurgence. Watch the video to know more.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 05, 2021 04:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).