Greece wildfire leaves two dead as firefighters struggle to contain blaze

Two people were found dead in an out-of-control forest fire in northern Greece and residents of a nearby village were forced to evacuate.

The body of a man was found in a charred area near Liti, about 15 km (nine miles) northwest of the city of Thessaloniki. Later, a second body, whose identity has not yet been determined, was found in a house in a forest area near the village.

It was stated that the woman, who was rescued with burn injuries near the house, was in a stable condition at the hospital. A 12-year-old child was also reported missing.

More than 100 firefighters, dozens of fire trucks and at least seven planes are trying to contain the blaze, which is reported to be facing a wall of flames nearly 5 km long and still spreading.

The cause of the fire, which broke out at around 14.30 local time (11.30 GMT) on Tuesday and quickly spread into a nearby forest, has not yet been determined.

The area was under a high bushfire risk warning as dry conditions and high winds made it difficult to contain the fire, causing repeated flare-ups.

Residents of Liti were urged to flee their homes, with Greek broadcaster ERT reporting that a small number of properties were damaged as the fire spread towards the nearby village of Melissochori on Tuesday evening.

The boy reported missing is believed to be the son of the man previously found dead and the injured woman.

This is the latest forest fire in Greece in recent days as it heads towards the peak of the tourist season. Wildfires have become a common occurrence in the country during the summer months, when there are regular droughts and heatwaves.