Crete wildfire: Coast Guard rescues 29 people by sea as firefighters battle blaze

Greek Coast Guard vessels evacuated 29 people by sea from the southern coast of Crete as a major wildfire continued to burn out of control in the Rethymnon region. The fire, which broke out earlier on Wednesday, spread rapidly through the southern part of Rethymnon. Advancing flames reached the area of Krya Vrysi near Agios Pavlos, forcing residents and visitors to seek safety along the shoreline.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Greek City Times (@greekcitytimes) Coast Guard patrol vessels, a rescue craft and private boats carried out the evacuations. Seventeen people were taken off in the first operation, followed by a further 12, bringing the total rescued by sea to 29. Video recorded on board a Coast Guard vessel shows officers pulling people from a smaller boat amid thick smoke on the horizon.

Two firefighters were killed while battling the blaze, the Fire Service confirmed. Coast Guard units remained on standby in the area for possible further evacuations as firefighting operations continued on land. Authorities said they were closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation.

Advertising1 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The post Crete wildfire: Coast Guard rescues 29 people by sea as firefighters battle blaze appeared first on Greek City Times.