No Bulgarians injured following wildfire and evacuations on Halkidiki peninsula

So far, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received no information about Bulgarian citizens being injured or in distress in connection with the wildfire on the Halkidiki peninsula, Greece The ministry’s press office reported that the Bulgarian Consulate General in Thessaloniki is monitoring the situation and is prepared to provide any necessary consular assistance.

On August 13, Greek media reported that a major fire had broken out in the Kassandra area - the southwesternmost of the three branches of the Halkidiki peninsula. In the afternoon, the settlements of Siviri and Fourka were evacuated, while Elani was also evacuated preventively in the evening, according to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

More than 347 people were evacuated by sea. Coast guard vessels, private boats, and a high-speed passenger vessel took part in the operation. There are no figures available for the number of people evacuated by land, but it was reported early on that the evacuation had caused traffic problems. The Siviri-Fourka road was closed after the flames crossed the roadway.

People affected by the fire in Siviri can request and receive temporary accommodation in private hotels through an online platform on the website of the Greek Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov