Four dead as hundreds of Italian beachgoers rescued from wildfires
Pastor Dale Morgan
Four dead as hundreds of Italian beachgoers rescued from wildfires*
AFP - Tuesday, July 24
ROME (AFP) - - Wildfires claimed four lives Tuesday in southern Italy's
Puglia region, where the coastguard evacuated hundreds of people from
beaches hit by the blazes, officials said.
Two people were burned alive in their car near the town of Peschici,
while another two were asphyxiated on a beach that was engulfed by
flames nearby, ANSA said.
Meanwhile more than 1,000 beachgoers were evacuated by sea from beaches
near Peschici, while in nearby Vieste, fires destroyed four campsites.
Cities opened schools to shelter the displaced campers as well as
residents whose homes were threatened.
The evacuated beachgoers were taken to Manfredonia, a large city in the
area.
Private citizens contributed boats to the coastguard fleet in the
evacuation effort, ANSA said.
A crisis unit has been set up and top public safety and political
figures went to the scene, officials said.
Meanwhile the president of neighbouring Molise called for a state of
emergency to be declared in his region.
People were evacuated from part of the southern edge of Termoli, one of
the main towns in Molise, because of a fire threatening their homes.
Strong winds were stoking fires in several areas while grounding
firefighting helicopters as hundreds of forest and brush fires continued
to burn in central and southern Italy amid searing temperatures.
Spain sent two Canadair water-bomber planes to help battle blazes in
Sardinia, the Spanish defence ministry said.