Two pilots lost their lives while participating in the firefighting efforts against the wildfires in Greece, as their dedicated firefighting aircraft crashed. At the same time, a third person was found dead amidst the ongoing heatwave fueling the raging fires in the country.
The Greek Fire Service reported that a "Canada Air" aircraft crashed in a nearby valley to the site of the wildfire outbreak on Sunday. Video footage aired by Greek broadcaster "ERT" showed the aircraft colliding with a tree before plummeting and exploding.
The Greek Ministry of Defense stated that the aircraft was involved in firefighting efforts alongside at least three other aircraft and hundreds of firefighting personnel combating the flames on the southern island of Evia on Tuesday.
The ministry declared a three-day mourning period for the pilots who belonged to the Greek Air Force.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis mourned the pilots in a statement, saying they "lost their lives while saving others."
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his support on Twitter for "the heroes who risk their lives in Greece, France, and elsewhere every summer to combat wildfires."
Meanwhile, Constantina Demoglidou, the spokesperson for the Greek Police, announced the discovery of another deceased individual, stating that "DNA tests will be needed to confirm whether he is the missing shepherd since Sunday."
The wildfires also struck Algeria, which shares the Mediterranean coast and is particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change. The fires, fueled by strong winds, have resulted in the death of at least 34 people. Tunisia and Sicily have also been affected by the fires.
Meteorologists confirmed that Greece is experiencing one of the longest heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures staying below the historical record level of 48 degrees Celsius.
In the capital city of Athens, the temperature reached 38 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, while the heat index felt by the body soared to 41 degrees Celsius.
In the country's interior, the temperature peaked at 44 degrees Celsius at midday, according to the National Meteorological Service.
The region of Gythio in the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece recorded a temperature of 46.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
Greek authorities raised the alert level to "red" in several areas of the country on Tuesday, indicating "extreme danger" of forest fires.
Rising temperatures and strong winds, reaching speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, have fueled massive fires continuing for eight days in the Aegean Sea.
Approximately 35,000 hectares of forest land have been destroyed in Greece so far, according to estimates by the Greek branch of the non-governmental organization WWF.
The fires also struck famous tourist destinations like the island of Rhodes off the Turkish coast and the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea during a busy tourist season with hotel reservations.
About 100 kilometers away from Athens, the fires consumed the southern part of the large island of Evia after two years since fires destroyed the island's northern part.
A fourth firefront in western Peloponnese is causing concern for firefighters.
The temperature of the Mediterranean Sea has also risen. The Spanish Marine Research Center told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday that the previous day, the highest daily temperature reached 28.71 degrees Celsius.
- "Failed" -
Firefighting units, comprising 266 reinforcements along with two helicopters and two firefighting aircraft, are attempting to extinguish the wildfires that have been raging on the island of Rhodes for eight days, leading the authorities to organize an unprecedented evacuation operation for thousands of tourists and residents.
In the village of Fatsi in southeastern Rhodes, "what's happening is tragic," said Vassilis Kalavodakis, the village mayor, to AFP.
He added, "The village received an evacuation order, but we can't leave it... We are fighting to protect our village."
Others expressed their anger, believing that the Greek authorities abandoned them.
Christos Kitsos, a 34-year-old employee at a luxury hotel in Rhodes, told AFP, "Nothing is worse than what we have just experienced... The authorities failed us, the mayor, the governor, and the government. All of them!"
He continued, "There is a complete lack of organization, no information. We are in the peak tourist season, with 200,000 tourists on the island, and we handled things on our own. We were abandoned. It's disgraceful!"
In the north of the island, volunteers are assisting foreign tourists who were evacuated on Saturday and have been staying in a school for the past two days.
British tourist Christine Moody (69 years old), who was spending her first vacation in Greece, said, "I can't believe how kind they are, they are giving so much and with all the meaning of the word. I am very touched."
In the northern part of the island of Corfu, from which about 2,500 people were evacuated on Sunday night, 62 firefighting personnel, helicopters, and firefighting aircraft are combatting the fires.
AFP