Greece experienced a wildfire in the suburbs of Athens yesterday morning, prompting continued evacuation of at-risk areas as strong winds are expected to hit over the weekend.
The fierce winds escalated the fires near the capital and around the ancient city of Olympia, resulting in at least one fatality and damaging homes and agricultural lands.
The most severe blaze erupted in the small town of Kairatia, southwest of the capital, where firefighters discovered the body of an elderly man in a burned building.
A spokesperson for the firefighters mentioned yesterday that while the blaze is now contained, it has not been completely extinguished.
Meanwhile, firefighting efforts are ongoing in southwestern France to prevent a resurgence of the largest wildfire the country has seen in decades, according to a spokesperson from the firefighting team.
The spokesperson indicated that efforts would continue at least until the end of today. Approximately 1,500 firefighters remain deployed in the Aude region.
The fire started in the village of Rieutort, located between Carcassonne and Narbonne in the Aude area, last Tuesday afternoon, spreading rapidly and consuming over 16,000 hectares of land due to hot and windy weather.
Reports indicate that this fire has caused the largest land destruction since wildfires in 1949 and is now under control.
The fire has impacted residents in 16 municipalities, forcing many to evacuate and damaging several homes.
Additionally, heavy rainfall has struck Kyushu Island in southern Japan, leading to floods and landslides, resulting in residents seeking shelter as officials issued the highest level of warnings in the area.
A landslide occurred in a house in the city of Ira, Kagoshima Prefecture, burying two individuals who were later rescued alive and transported to a hospital, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
The agency has issued evacuation instructions for over 360,000 people in Kagoshima Prefecture and the neighboring Miyazaki Prefecture.
Television footage showcased muddy waters flooding rivers that have risen significantly.
In Kurashiki City, floodwaters reached knee-deep in a shopping center.
The heavy rains disrupted local transportation, halting trains and buses, and resulting in the cancellation of dozens of flights to and from Kagoshima.
Furthermore, the death toll from the torrential rains in Gansu Province, northwest China, has risen to at least 13, with 30 individuals reported missing, as per Chinese state media yesterday.
The severe rain caused rapid water rises in mountainous areas surrounding Lanzhou, flooding roads and destroying numerous homes.
As of Saturday afternoon, the death toll from the disaster stood at 13, with 30 still unaccounted for, according to Xinhua News Agency reports from the provincial emergency center.
The agency reported that hundreds of people have been rescued and thousands evacuated.
An official from the rescue services described the situation as complicated due to muddy and rugged roads, alongside disruptions to telephone and electricity networks.
Emergency operations in Gansu Province were confirmed to be ongoing in a social media post from the emergency center.