Forest fires kill 15 as Greece asks EU for help - Reuters

Source: Reuters

Forest fires kill 15 as Greece asks EU for help
Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:25PM EDT

(updates death toll, includes French deaths,
request to EU)

By Tatiana Frangou

ATHENS, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Forest fires sweeping
across southern Greece killed at least 15 people on
Friday, including two French tourists, as Athens
asked the European Union for urgent help.

Six people including two firefighters and two French
people dead in a blaze near the town of Areopolis,
on the southerly Peloponnese peninsula, official
sources said.

Nine more people were found dead near Zakharo,
on the west coast of the peninsula, at least six
of them in cars, a fire brigade official said.

The fires have spread eastward from the western
Peloponnese to the southern tip of the peninsula
near Areopolis, some 300 km (190 miles) southwest
of Athens by road.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL24690344