In Marseille, fire stops trains and planes, thousands of people asked to stay indoors
The European press was concerned Tuesday about the French city, threatened by one of the many fires raging across the Mediterranean. The prefecture announced in the evening that the situation was under control.
"Massive fire in Marseille: airport closed, trains at a standstill, flames reach the city," headlined La Repubblica , which was following the situation in the French metropolis on July 8. The fire, which started in Pennes-Mirabeau, "has reached Marseille [...] where residents of the 16th arrondissement have been asked to self-isolate," the Italian daily reported.
"According to French authorities, no casualties have been reported so far, even though more than ten buildings have gone up in smoke. There are also concerns about air pollution and quality," La Repubblica reported late this afternoon.
Authorities have urged residents of the 16th arrondissement, in the north of the city, to stay indoors, close shutters and doors, and place a damp cloth over their intestines to avoid inhaling smoke. The call to stay indoors has been maintained, even though the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture has declared the situation "under control."
"The flames, caused by a vehicle fire, were fueled by a strong mistral wind, temperatures above 30 degrees and dry vegetation, especially after last week's heatwave," explains El País .
The northern districts of Marseille “are the most disadvantaged and are densely populated,” the Spanish newspaper points out.
“The fire is reminiscent of a similar situation in 2016, when flames surrounded Marseille and devastated more than 3,300 hectares […]. This time, while a dense cloud of smoke covers a large part of the city, several hundred children remain confined in the social and leisure centers in this area,” adds El País.
Another intense fire broke out Monday near Narbonne. Traffic on the A9 motorway, which connects France to Spain, had to be temporarily suspended, the Spanish newspaper noted. Across the border in Catalonia, the La Vanguardia newspaper's website is also being ravaged by a fire that has already ravaged more than 3,000 hectares and forced 18,000 residents of the province of Tarragona to stay indoors.
For its part, "Syria called on the EU for help on Tuesday to fight the fires that have been raging for six days," adds The Guardian . As the British newspaper points out, "all around the Mediterranean, firefighters are battling blazes caused by an intense heatwave."
Courrier International
