NICOSIA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot authorities on Wednesday evacuated several mountain communities as a large wildfire raged out of control in the central Troodos mountain range, causing damage to homes, vehicles, and livestock, according to official sources.
The blaze broke out around midday along a road between two villages in the Troodos region, amid a scorching heatwave that pushed temperatures to 43 degrees Celsius.
Three people were hospitalized, while two burn victims were transferred to Limassol General Hospital, Cyprus Mail reported.
Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis, who is overseeing the emergency response, said strong winds had fueled the flames, which spread rapidly across several communities. A special firefighting coordination plan has been activated to boost the effectiveness of the response, he said.
The Cyprus Fire Service described the fire's development as "extremely fierce," with alternating winds driving flames from one village to another and at times forcing the fire back into previously affected areas, Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported.
Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis told CNA that ground forces would continue operating through the night, while aerial firefighting would resume at first light. "The strong winds in the area were the worst that could happen," he said.
According to Kettis, precautionary evacuations were carried out in several villages, and rescue operations were conducted to assist residents in their homes, particularly the elderly. These efforts involved coordination between the Fire Service, Civil Defence, Police, and members of the National Guard. Enditem
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