Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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August 25, 2007

Forest Fires Kill 41 in Southern Greece
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=18FB5E9:A6F02AD83191E160F4BFA030FF869F809574F7DCC14957C0 Death toll from
worst fires in decades expected to rise





Trees and grasses burn near the village of Kato Samika about 320
kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Athens, 25 Aug 2007Firefighters
say the death toll in southern Greece from the worst forest fires in
decades has risen to at least 41 and is expected to rise.

They say a mother and her four children, who had been reported
missing, are believed to be among the dead.

Firefighters warned Saturday that the toll could rise as they begin
searching the affected zones on the Peloponnese Peninsula for more
victims. Deaths have been reported near the town of Areopolis and near
Zakharo, on the west side.

The firefighters were working through the night, while 500 soldiers
were to join the firefighting efforts Saturday.

The Greek government declared a state of emergency in two districts
and asked for help from the European Union.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has visited the affected areas.

In Italy, several fires are burning in the south and killed an
80-year-old man. Firefighters are also battling blazes in Sicily,
where three people died earlier this week.

Portugal, which has been spared the worst of the fires due to an
unusually cool and rainy summer, was also hit this week, with more
than 300 firefighters battling a blaze near the capital, Lisbon.

Greece has experienced an unprecedented outbreak of forest fires this
year, brought on by a combination of soaring temperatures, hot winds
and months of drought.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.


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