Cyprus seeks international assistance to combat 'worst forest fire' in decades
Trees burn in a forest on the slopes of the Throodos mountain chain, as a giant fire rages on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, during the night of July 3, 2021.
As a result of strong winds and high temperatures, the Cyprus wildfire is spreading rapidly, forcing the evacuation of several villages. Cyprus on Saturday requested emergency assistance of European and Israeli planes, to help fight the blaze.
Calling it a "very difficult day", the Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades, in a statement, expressed his gratitude to the Greeks and the Israelis for responding positively to the appeal.
The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, announced on Twitter a mobilization of aerial firefighting assets, including planes from Italy and Greece.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office also confirmed that they were sending "two firefighting planes", which are slated for arrival on Sunday.
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There is no immediate report of casualties in the fire that started in Limassol's southern district of Arakapa. However, property damage has been reported.
Some villages in Larnaca were also evacuated as a precautionary measure, to prevent damage as temperatures in Cyprus have risen to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) during a week-long heatwave.
Nikos Christodoulides, Cyprus' foreign minister, while talking to the official CNA news agency said that the island nation had requested assistance.
The minister said that four aircrafts had been requested to combat the blaze.
Off-duty personnel have also been called in to help with firefighting efforts as the fire seems to be raging on several fronts.
Costas Kadis, Agriculture Minister, said the situation is challenging which is why the government had to request assistance.
Assisted by British troops, and equipment already on the Mediterranean island, more than twenty firefighting vehicles, six helicopters and four planes have already been deployed to fight the flames.
The situation is so dire that dense smoke is visible from 40 kilometres (25 miles) away, residents of Larnaca, the southern resort town south of Limassol have reported seeing the sun turning a "blood orange" colour.