Forest fires that have taken at least 44 lives rage uncontrolled across vast areas of southern Greece, the fire department says. The skies around Athens are red and ashes fall in the center of the capital as wind drives the flames across the parched landscape.Since Friday morning, more than 170 blazes fires have burned from the western Ionian islands to Ioannina in northwest Greece, and down to the south. New fires broke out Saturday, and fears grew that the death toll could rise as rescue crews reached villages that had been cut off by walls of flames.
Arson was suspected in several cases, with 20 new fires starting during the night, said fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis.
Authorities evacuated nuns from a convent and closed off a major highway on Mount Ymittos near Athens as flames approached the capital's eastern outskirts, causing extensive damage to a three-storey building in the Papagou suburb, the fire department said. Firemen assisted by water-dropping aircraft and hundreds of volunteers brought the blaze under partial control. No injuries were reported.
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