Patients evacuated onto ferry as wildfire rages near hospital in Greece

Patients of a chronic diseases management foundation get evacuated as a wildfire burns near Alexandroupolis, in the region of Evros, Greece, August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis

ALEXANDROUPOLIS, Greece (Reuters) -Dozens of hospital patients, including newborn babies, were evacuated onto a ferry in the Greek port city of Alexandroupolis on Tuesday as a wildfire raged uncontrolled for a fourth day, and two new blazes broke out near Athens, the fire brigade said.

Hundreds of firefighters have been struggling to contain the blaze that broke out near Alexandroupolis on Saturday and quickly spread, fanned by gale force winds, sending plumes of smoke above the city and turning the night sky red. One person has been killed.