Greek officials say most fires in recent weeks were started by people
Most of the 667 fires that have broken out in Greece in recent weeks have been started "by human hands", climate crisis and civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias has said, according to The Guardian, quoted by News.ro
"During this period, 667 fires have broken out, that is more than 60 fires a day, almost all over the country. Unfortunately, most of them have been started by human hands, either through criminal negligence or intentionally," said Vassilis Kikilias, Greece's minister for climate crisis and civil protection.
This week, the World Meteorological Organisation and the Copernicus Climate Change Service for Europe described July as the warmest month on record. The UN also said it was clear that no month has ever been so warm.
António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, called for bold and immediate action to reduce global warming emissions, adding: "The evidence is everywhere. Mankind has unleashed destruction. This should not inspire despair, but action."
The fires killed three people and injured 74 others. On Wednesday, the Greek armed forces announced three days of mourning after two air force pilots were killed while trying to extinguish the flames with their water plane before it crashed over the island of Evia.
Nearly 20,000 people - mainly tourists - were forced to leave hotels on Rhodes, the island worst hit by the fires, in a single day. The operation has been described as the largest evacuation ever carried out in Greece. A state of emergency was declared in parts of the popular tourist destination earlier this week.
