Mandra mayor warns of approaching wildfire
The wildfire raging in Dervenochoria, about 30 km north of Athens, is now threatening the town of Mandra (near Elefsina) and settlements around it, its mayor has said.
Christos Stathis, mayor of Mandra-Eidyllia, urged residents to evacuate as a precautionary measure in the face of the approaching fire front, which is estimated to be 20-kilometers long.
He noted that the settlements of Pournari and Nea Zoi were already evacuated as the flames neared the outskirts of Mandra this morning.
He appealed to the authorities to deploy aerial firefighting means and also said there was a lack of firefighting ground forces.
The deputy mayor, Vassilis Papanikolaou, said two homes have already been destroyed in the settlement of Nea Zoi. He also said that there were no firefighters present in the settlement.
In a tweet, police said they were making “every possible effort to convince nuns to evacuate a monastery in Mandra which is located near the fire front.”
👮🔥🙏Αστυνομικοί καταβάλουν κάθε δυνατή προσπάθεια να πείσουν μοναχές να εκκενώσουν μοναστήρι στην #Μάνδρα.
🚒 🚓 Στην περιοχή συνεχίζουν να επιχειρούν αστυνομικές δυνάμεις για την παροχή βοήθειας στους πολίτες.#φωτια #Πυρκαγια pic.twitter.com/ifDKfYBt9S
— Ελληνική Αστυνομία (@hellenicpolice) July 18, 2023
