site.btaRomania Sends New Group of Firefighters to Help Extinguish Fires in Greece

Romania on Wednesday sent an additional 40 people to help extinguish fires in Greece, BTA learned from the Department of Emergency Situations.

The team that left includes specialists from the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations and its subordinate units. Thirty people are travelling by air, with a plane of the Ministry of National Defence, another ten by land with specialised means of intervention - three vehicles for extinguishing forest fires, one 10,000 litre tanker and a 4x4 vehicle.

The decision was taken last night after Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu convened a meeting of the National Emergency Committee.

So far, a Romanian contingent of 40 firefighter-rescuers has been deployed in the area of the forest fires in Greece, carrying out specific missions to contain their spread.

Greece has requested assistance from the European Union, Digi24 notes and specifies that the only firefighters who have responded are from Romania and Malta. Meanwhile, France and Italy sent four relief planes. "More firefighters are needed from other countries," Greek government officials said. 

The biggest problems are near Athens, where five-metre-high flames forced authorities to evacuate several houses and a monastery.