A helicopter drops water on a fire near Siderina village, about 30 kilometres south of the Greek capital Athens. AP
A helicopter drops water on a fire near Siderina village, about 30 kilometres south of the Greek capital Athens. AP
A helicopter drops water on a fire near Siderina village, about 30 kilometres south of the Greek capital Athens. AP
A helicopter drops water on a fire near Siderina village, about 30 kilometres south of the Greek capital Athens. AP

New fires force evacuation of Greek villages


Soraya Ebrahimi
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Hundreds of firefighters in Greece are struggling to control two new blazes that broke out near Athens on Monday, with a care home and several villages north-west of the capital being evacuated.

On Tuesday, about 330 firefighters, including 143 from Poland, with 115 vehicles were battling a blaze in Vilia, about 60 kilometres north-west of Athens, with support from five water-dropping planes and six helicopters.

Authorities have called for the evacuation of at least four nearby villages.

Hundreds of wildfires have hit Greece this month, with blazes also causing devastation in Italy, Spain and Turkey as the Mediterranean region faces a heatwave.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has linked the fires to the "climate crisis".

Firefighters battled a new blaze near the Greek port city of Lavrio, south-east of Athens, as helicopters and planes dropped water on the flames.

Residents from three nearby villages were ordered to move to safety. Authorities said the fire reached several houses, but the extent of the damage was unclear.

The sky in Athens was again clouded with smoke.

"The fire front is large and the winds in the area are very strong. This is a very flammable pine-covered area," Thanasis Avgerinos, deputy governor of the East Attica region, told AFP.

Firefighters are battling to keep the flames away from a national park in the southern Sounion region. Authorities say it will then be extremely difficult to control the blaze if it reaches the park.

  • A firefighter tackles a blaze in the village of Markati, near Athens. More wildfires broke out on Monday in Greece, parts of which have been burning for more than two weeks, fanned by strong winds.
    A firefighter tackles a blaze in the village of Markati, near Athens. More wildfires broke out on Monday in Greece, parts of which have been burning for more than two weeks, fanned by strong winds.
  • A helicopter drops water on houses to extinguish a fire in Markati.
    A helicopter drops water on houses to extinguish a fire in Markati.
  • Police patrol during a wildfire in Agios Konstantinos, about 60 kilometres south of Athens.
    Police patrol during a wildfire in Agios Konstantinos, about 60 kilometres south of Athens.
  • Greek authorities deployed dozens of firefighters, as well as six water-dropping planes and four other aircraft, to a wildfire that broke in Keratea.
    Greek authorities deployed dozens of firefighters, as well as six water-dropping planes and four other aircraft, to a wildfire that broke in Keratea.
  • Eleni Haniosakis stands next to her burnt home in the village of Krioneri, north of Athens.
    Eleni Haniosakis stands next to her burnt home in the village of Krioneri, north of Athens.
  • A woman uses a water hose to extinguish a fire in Markati. Three villages south-east of Athens were evacuated as a precaution.
    A woman uses a water hose to extinguish a fire in Markati. Three villages south-east of Athens were evacuated as a precaution.
  • A man helps a firefighter while he tries to extinguish a wildfire burning in Markati.
    A man helps a firefighter while he tries to extinguish a wildfire burning in Markati.
  • Firefighters and volunteers attempt to extinguish a fire in Markati.
    Firefighters and volunteers attempt to extinguish a fire in Markati.

In recent weeks wildfires have destroyed homes, property, pine forests, wildlife and livestock across more than 1,000 square kilometres of land.

The island of Evia, about 120 kilometres north-east of Athens, has paid the heaviest price, with more than half of its land burnt.

The Peloponnese peninsula, about 300km south-west of Athens, and the northern suburbs of the capital were also heavily affected by about 600 fires, which were at last brought under control on Friday.

Mr Mitsotakis said the fires offered a dire warning. "The climate crisis tells us everything must change," he said.

As global temperatures increase, heatwaves are predicted to become more frequent and intense, and their effects more widespread, scientists say.

Meanwhile, deputy civil protection minister Nikos Hardalias, who has been co-ordinating the firefighting, suffered an "ischaemic episode" and required a heart operation, a hospital said on Monday.

Mr Hardalias, 52, will continue to be monitored at the cardiological clinic, it said.

Secretary General for Civil Protection, Vassilios Papageorgiou, will step in until Mr Hardalias recuperates, the Greece's civil protection said.

Virtual banks explained

What is a virtual bank?

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.

What’s the draw in Asia?

Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.

Is Hong Kong short of banks?

No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year. 

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if you go

The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.

The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.

 

 

Updated: August 17, 2021, 11:21 AM