It’s getting worse. Death toll is still climbing. More than 60 dead.
More than 30 forest fires raged out of control across southern Greece for a third day on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of dozens of villages and threatening ancient Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games.
The death toll reached 58 and was expected to rise as firefighters reached isolated mountain settlements in the western Peloponnese, the hardest-hit region. Most victims died trying to protect their homes or were trapped in cars as they fled from the blaze, police said.
Costas Karamanlis, Greek prime minister, declared a nationwide state of emergency and called a halt to campaigning for the country’s September 16 parliamentary elections.
Athens on Sunday night offered a reward of up to €1m for information leading to the arrest of arsonists believed responsible for starting the fires, the public order ministry said in a statement.
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