Crash of plane fighting Greek island wildfire kills both pilots as Italian blaze claims 2 lives
Rhodes (AP): A Greek air force water-dropping plane crashed while diving into a wildfire in southern Greece on Tuesday, killing both pilots, as authorities battled blazes that have been raging for days across the country amid a return of heat wave temperatures.
Summer wildfires blamed on climate change have also struck other Mediterranean countries, leaving at least 34 people dead in Algeria in recent days and two people dead in southern Italy on Tuesday.
A state ERT TV video showed the bright yellow CL-215 aircraft releasing its load of water on the island of Evia before its wingtip apparently snagged in a tree branch. Moments later it disappeared into a deep fold in the ground from which a fireball erupted.
The air force said the pilots, aged 34 and 27, both died in the crash.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cancelled a planned visit to Cyprus for Wednesday, and Greece's armed forces declared three days of mourning.
"They offered their lives to save lives," Mitsotakis said of the pilots. "They proved how hazardous their daily missions in extinguishing fires are ... In their memory, we continue the war against the destructive forces of nature."
A third successive heat wave in Greece pushed temperatures back above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) Tuesday amid a string of evacuations from fires that have raged for days, whipped on by strong winds.
It's still unclear how they started, although tinder-dry conditions and the summer heat mean the slightest spark can ignite a blaze that will spread fast if not quickly quenched. Several people have been arrested or fined across Greece in recent days for accidentally starting fires.
EU officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires across the European continent, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017.
Greek police said a burned body believed to belong to a sheep farmer who had been missing since Sunday in southern Evia a day before the fire broke out there was found on Tuesday. It was unclear whether he had been killed by the fire or had died of other causes beforehand.
A fire service spokesman said the worst blazes on Tuesday were on the southeastern island of Rhodes and the northwestern island of Corfu both popular tourist destinations. "On the other fronts, we have to deal with many cases of the fire flaring up again," Ioannis Artopios said.
Four villages on Rhodes were ordered evacuated on Tuesday as a fire burning for eight days continued to move inland, torching mountainous forest areas, including a part of a nature reserve.
Another five evacuations were ordered on Corfu, and one overnight on Evia.
On Rhodes, desperate residents, many with wet towels around their necks to stave off the scorching heat, used shovels to beat back flames approaching their homes, while firefighting planes and helicopters resumed water drops at first light.
"For the twelfth day, under extreme conditions of heat and strong winds, we are fighting nonstop on dozens of forest fire fronts. ... The Greek Fire Service has battled more than 500 fires more than 50 a day," said Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for climate crisis and civil protection.
Authorities said more than 20,000 people have been involved in successive evacuations on the island, mostly tourists over the weekend when fires swept through two coastal areas in the southeast of Rhodes.
Among them was Serbian basketball star Philip Petrusev, a player for the Philadelphia 76ers who was vacationing on Rhodes with his partner Tiana Sumakovic.
In a series of online posts, Sumakovic described frantic scenes as she and Petrusev escaped the fire.
"The fire got got very close and we had to run," Sumakovic wrote, captioning videos of the fire. "We were choking on the smoke and ran as far as we could ... we eventually made it to safety."
Rhodes is highly popular with Nordic tourists, who are expected to continue heading for the island this week.
Two full charter flights were scheduled to depart from Sweden on Wednesday, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said. Tour operators said holidaymakers would be heading to resorts in the so-far unaffected northern part of Rhodes.
In Athens, authorities resumed afternoon closing hours at the ancient Acropolis, as part of broader measures to cope with the high heat.
The European Union has sent 500 firefighters, 100 vehicles and seven planes from 10 member states, while Turkey, Israel, Egypt and other countries have also sent help.
Contributing nations included Italy, which has its own fires and extreme weather too.
On the island of Sicily, two people were found dead Tuesday in a home burned by a wildfire that temporarily shut down Palermo's international airport, according to Italian news reports. Regional officials said 55 fires were active on Sicily, amid temperatures in the 40s Celsius. In Puglia, further north, some 2,000 tourists were evacuated from three hotels in Vieste as flames got perilously close.
But in Italy's northern Lombardy region, a powerful storm accompanied by heavy hail caused flooding and power outages and was blamed for the death of a 16-year-old girl at a scouts' camp.
In southeastern France, fire crews fought scattered wildfires, including one near Arles in Provence involving 300 firefighters and a water-dropping helicopter. Authorities banned access to several forested areas along the French Riviera and in Corsica.
In Turkey, authorities evacuated a dozen homes and a hospital as a precaution on Tuesday after a wildfire raged through a rugged forest area near the Mediterranean resort of Kemer, in Antalya province.
Another wildfire in the western province of Manisa, was brought under control a day after it burnt at least 14 homes.
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Cabinet reshuffle is CM's prerogative in consultation with Cong high command: G Parameshwara
Bengaluru(PTI): Amid speculation that a cabinet reshuffle was on the cards, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister and he would take a decision in consultation with the state Congress President and the high command.
Deputy CM and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar's statement on Tuesday indicating the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle in the days ahead, noting that few Ministers have been given a "message" about their term, has further fueled the speculations about the rejig.
"I don't know about it. Cabinet reshuffle is the Chief Minister's prerogative. He will consult the Pradesh Congress Committee President and go about it, this has been the practice. I don't know what decisions they make. It has to be done in consultation with the high command," Parameshwara told reporters.
To a question on Shivakumar's statement, he said, "He (Shivakumar) is the party state President, I don't know what messages he has sent (to some Ministers)."
Speculations are rife about a cabinet reshuffle and evaluation of the performance of the Ministers ever since the Lok Sabha poll results. There has also been demand from a section of MLAs, who are Ministerial aspirants, to be inducted into the cabinet. Some have openly expressed their wish to become Ministers.
To a question on a seer's comments that the voting rights of Muslims should be revoked, the Home Minister said, making remarks contrary to the Constitution is not right, and no one should speak or go against it.
"Probably he (seer) has not properly seen the principles of the Constitution and the rights and opportunities provided in it for every community and religion. It is clear in the Constitution," he said.
Asked about Congress MLA H R Gaviyappa publicly asking the CM to drop at least two of the five ‘guarantee’ schemes to provide money for development works, the state Home Minister said, "Any legislator asking for funds to his constituency is not wrong, so Gaviyappa is not wrong in asking for funds for his constituency."
"But unfortunately he has expressed his personal opinion regarding the guarantee schemes. That has been taken by the party and the government. We had promised the people of the state that we will full the promises, so we are implementing them. We cannot go back on that," he added.
Deputy CM Shivakumar had on Tuesday said he would issue a showcause notice to Gaviyappa and warned party leaders against making such statements regarding guarantee schemes.
Responding to a question on an Assamese girl found murdered at a serviced apartment in east Bengaluru, Parameshwra said such incidents in a way bring bad name to the city.
"It (alleged murder) is on very personal grounds. Both of them (suspect and victim) knew each other and were in love. They had stayed in a hotel room and he has stabbed her there. Both of them are outsiders. She is from Assam and he is from Kerala. Police keep watch on such things, but when such incidents occur, it in a way brings a bad name to the city," he said.
Asked about the suicide of a woman, who is a suspect in the alleged scam in Karnataka Bhovi Development Corporation, the Minister said investigation is on, can't say anything further until the probe is over.
On the protest by prisoners against the jail authorities at Kalaburagi central prison, alleging lack of facilities there, Parameshwara said he will speak to DG (Director General) Prisons about it.
"Already we have reviewed all the jails. If there are any necessities there it will be fulfilled. I will give instructions to the DG," he said.
