Tourists trapped as Italian wildfires kill five.

At least five people are now known to have died as wildfires burn out of control over many parts of southern Italy. Two victims were discovered in their burned-out car. Two others died in a fast-moving fire near the coastal town of Pescici, where hundreds of holidaymakers are reported to be trapped on beaches. Some have been rescued. The pilot of a firefighting plane which crashed also died. His co-pilot was seriously injured. The chief of Italy’s Civil Protection Service Guido Bertolaso visited the site of the plane crash. He blamed some fires on arsonists who deliberately set light to forests to clear the land for new building projects. Worst hit are the regions of Calabria and Puglia, and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. The recent heatwave in eastern and southern Europe has increased the dangers of wildfires, with strong winds fanning the flames.

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