Eighteen dead bodies have been found in a Greek forest, as wildfires that have swept parts of the country during a ferocious heat wave turned deadly.
The charred remains were found near the national park of Dadia, roughly 10 kilometers away from the Turkish border in the northeast of Greece.
The area is a frequent entry point for migration said Yannis Artopios, Greek fire brigade spokesperson, adding that an identification team has already been tasked to investigate the deaths.
“Given that there have been no reports of disappearances or missing residents from the surrounding areas, the possibility of people who entered the country irregularly is being investigated,” Artopios said about the corpses, according to Greek outlet Ekathimerini.
Dozens of hospital patients had to be evacuated onto a ferry in the port city Alexandroupoli earlier Tuesday, after a fire broke out on Saturday. On Sunday, five Greek villages near the Turkish border were evacuated and on Monday Greek authorities warned of an “extreme” fire risk near Athens.
“The EU stands united with Greece in the face of devastating wildfires,” the European Commission said. They are sending planes, a helicopter, 58 firefighters and 9 water tanks to support Greece in its fight against the fires, Balazs Ujvari, spokesperson for humanitarian aid and crisis management, said.
Greece has struggled with wildfires over the summer during blistering heat that would have been “virtually impossible” without man-made global warming, scientists said last month.