Ancient Olympia town and surrounding areas ordered to evacuate during fire
The municipality of Ancient Olympia, in NW Peloponnese, which includes the original site of the Olympic Games, was ordered to evacuate on Wednesday for precautionary reasons due to a fire in nearby Iraklia.
The community of Miraka was also evacuated due to a fire, the Fire Brigade reported.
The situation there is "very difficult," Ilia Region Vice-Governor Vassilis Giannopoulos told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA).
Authorities have so far evacuated another 8 villages in the municipality of Ancient Olympia: Pelopion, Platanos, Kafkania, Iraklia, Pournari, Koskina, Magiro, and Kladeo.
At Iraklia, some 95 firefighters and 31 fire engines with 4 ground teams are battling the blaze, assisted by 4 aircraft and 2 helicopters.
Traffic is banned on the Tripoli-Pyrgos national highway from the 124th km to the 130th km, police added.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni is on her way to the ancient site.
Source: ana-mpa
