LISBON: Deadly wildfires in central and northern Portugal have pushed emergency services to the limit and much-needed reinforcements will arrive on Wednesday from Spain and Morocco, the civil protection authority said.
At least seven people have died due to the blazes in the Aveiro and Viseu districts, with dozens of houses destroyed and tens of thousands of hectares of forest and scrubland consumed. Authorities have mobilized more than 5,000 firefighters.
Duarte Costa told CNN Portugal late on Tuesday that a specialized emergencies team of 230 Spanish military personnel would be deployed in the central Viseu district, where huge blazes are “of great concern at the moment.”
Morocco is sending up to four heavy water-bombing aircraft that should also arrive in Portugal on Wednesday, he added.
Spain, Italy and France have already sent two water-bombing aircraft each after the Portuguese government on Monday requested help under the EU civil protection mechanism.
“We are in a stressful situation, at the limit of our capabilities, and that is why we are asking for help from the European mechanism, Spain and Morocco,” Costa said, adding that the reinforcements would allow for some rotation of exhausted Portuguese firefighters and aircraft maintenance.
The government has declared a state of calamity in all municipalities affected by the wildfires, allowing civil protection agents to access private property.
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said a government team would coordinate the provision of “the most immediate and urgent support” to those who have lost their homes and livelihoods.
At least some of the dozens of fires across Portugal have been caused by arsonists, prompted by possible commercial interest, spite or criminal negligence, he said, vowing to “spare no effort in repressive action” against such crimes.
Portugal’s national guard, or GNR, said in a statement they had arrested seven people since Saturday suspected of arson in the districts of Leiria, Castelo Branco, Porto and Braga.
Beset by wildfires, Portugal gets help from Spain, Morocco
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Beset by wildfires, Portugal gets help from Spain, Morocco
South Korea calls for resuming dialogue with North
- President Lee Jae Myung has sought to mend ties with the nuclear-armed North since taking office in June
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul
SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on Sunday for dialogue with North Korea to resume, after Pyongyang last week shunned the prospect of diplomacy with its neighbor.
Since taking office in June, a dovish Lee has sought to mend ties with the nuclear-armed North, which reaffirmed its anti-Seoul approach during a party meeting last week.
“As my administration has repeatedly made clear, we respect the North’s system and will neither engage in any type of hostile acts, nor pursue any form of unification by absorption,” Lee said in a speech marking the anniversary of a historical campaign against Japan’s colonial rule.
“We will also continue our efforts to resume dialogue with the North,” he said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, describing its overtures as “clumsy, deceptive farce and a poor work.”
Speaking at the party congress in Pyongyang, Kim said North Korea has “absolutely no business dealing with South Korea, its most hostile entity, and will permanently exclude South Korea from the category of compatriots.”
But he also said the North could “get along well” with the United States if Washington acknowledges its nuclear status.
Speculation has mounted over whether US President Donald Trump will seek a meeting with Kim during planned travels to China.
Last year, Trump said he was “100 percent” open to a meeting.
Previous Trump-Kim summits during the US president’s first term fell apart after the pair failed to agree over sanctions relief — and what nuclear concessions North Korea might make in return.
