Wildfire in southern Greece leaves two people dead

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Two people have died in a large wildfire burning through forest land near a seaside resort in southern Greece.

The fire service said about 350 firefighters, assisted by eight water-dropping aircraft, managed early on Monday to largely bring under control the blaze near Xylokastro in the Peloponnese region.

Half a dozen villages were evacuated overnight as a precaution after the blaze broke out on Sunday.

The flames were fanned by very strong winds blowing through forests left tinder-dry by a warm spring and hot summer.

Authorities said the two dead were believed to be local residents declared missing late on Sunday.

Nobody else was believed to be missing.

There were no immediate reports of burned homes in the affected area, 150km southwest of Athens.

Greece, like other southern European countries, is plagued by destructive wildfires every summer.

In the past few months, authorities have had to cope with more than 4500 wildfires.

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