Two firefighters were killed and a third was critically injured while tackling one of the largest forest fires in Cyprus in years.
The blaze, possibly started by an attempt to burn dry stubble, broke out on Sunday in the foothills of the Troodos mountain region of the eastern Mediterranean island.
It has been fanned by high winds and scorching temperatures, hampering efforts by firefighters backed by water bomber aircraft from Greece and Israel and helicopters from the British military bases in Cyprus.
The two firefighters were killed when a water tanker overturned. A third was in a critical condition after a fire truck plunged down a ravine.
They were the first fatalities among firefighters reported in at least a decade in Cyprus, which has frequent brush fires during its hot summer months but usually on a much smaller scale.
"The situation is difficult, it has not been totally brought under control," said Leonidas Leonidou, a spokesman for Cyprus's fire brigade service.
Adding to the international relief efforts, France was expected to send three firefighting aircraft to Cyprus later on Tuesday, the state-run Cyprus News Agency reported.
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