Two die in a burned car, as is expected 44c heat

Two people were killed in a car in a fire, which had torn through the southern Cyprus against the background of increasing temperatures, which is expected to rise to 44C on Thursday.

Cypriot police said two charred bodies were found in a burned -out vehicle after the flame began on Wednesday afternoon in the village of Malia in the Limassol region.

They are yet to be officially identified, but local media reports say the car belonged to a 77-year-old woman who was reported to be missing. The couple is understood as an adult couple in the area.

More than a dozen other people have been treated for fire injuries, which has already destroyed the homes and has devastated 100 square km (40 square meters) of land.

More than 250 firefighters were arranged to fight the fire, which was ignited by strong winds at rising temperatures.

The Ministry of Meteorology in the country has issued an exceptional signal for a maximum temperature for Thursday, with the highest of 44C expected in internal areas.

Cyprus Fire Service spokesman Andreas Ketis said there were no “active fronts” in the fire, but “Flare-ups” continued in the area.

Several communities are left without electricity or air conditioning as a result of the flame that is torn through real estate.

“When I entered my house, I saw the mountain and a valley full of flames,” said Antonis Christow, who lives in Kandu, one of the villages affected by the fire, in front of the AFP agency.

“I cried, I really cried because people were burned.”

Neighboring countries have been asked to support fire efforts by the Cypriot government.

Cyprus requested support for his fire efforts through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

Spain is expected to send two planes on Thursday, said government spokesman Konstantinos Flybiotis.

Two fire aircraft are in a standby mode in Jordan, while two more are expected from Spain, Justice Minister Marios Hartsyotis told the CYBC public television operator.

The testimonies of witnesses, who suggest that the fire began intentionally, was handed over to police by the fire service.

Europe was confronted with tangible temperatures this summer during heat waves, with wild fires also caught on the Greek island of Crete, Turkey and Spain.

Cyprus, facing land, is routinely hit by fires during the summer months.

In 2021, Four Egyptian farmers died in fire which burned an area of about 55 square km (21 square meters) in the Limassol area.