Greece reinforces firefighting forces

Athens: Greek authorities reinforced firefighting forces in the northeastern part of the country Monday, where a massive deadly wildfire was burning for a 10th day with no signs of abating.

The fire in the Alexandroupolis and Evros areas near the Turkish border has been blamed for 20 of the 21 wildfire-related deaths in Greece last week.

The fire department said 474 firefighters, backed by 100 vehicles, seven planes and two helicopters were battling the flames.

The forces included reinforcements from several European countries.

Authorities are investigating what sparked the blaze, which over the past week has decimated vast tracts of forest, scorched homes and triggered the evacuation of thousands of people.

The bodies of 18 people were found in an area near the city of Alexandroupolis last Tuesday, while a body had been found in a forest in the region the previous day and another was found on Thursday.

The bodies are believed to be those of migrants who recently crossed the nearby border

with Turkey. Greece’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit has been activated to identify the remains.