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Thousands Displaced in Floods in North-Eastern India, Rain Abates 

A one-horned rhinoceros wades through flood water at the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district of India's Assam state on June 20, 2024. (AFP) 
A one-horned rhinoceros wades through flood water at the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district of India's Assam state on June 20, 2024. (AFP) 
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Thousands Displaced in Floods in North-Eastern India, Rain Abates 

A one-horned rhinoceros wades through flood water at the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district of India's Assam state on June 20, 2024. (AFP) 
A one-horned rhinoceros wades through flood water at the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district of India's Assam state on June 20, 2024. (AFP) 

Thousands of people have been displaced in India's north-eastern state of Assam and at least 37 people have died in heavy rain, floods and landslides in the last two months, officials said on Monday.

Although rains have abated in the last two days and improved the flood situation marginally, at least 200,000 people were affected in 11 districts of the state due rain-related incidents, a release from the state's disaster management authority said.

More than 12,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the state and authorities said they expected another wave of floods in July, with the Kushiyara river, a transboundary river between India and Bangladesh flowing above the danger mark in several places.

India's north-east and neighboring Bangladesh have been ravaged by floods in the last two months, leaving millions stranded, with weather authorities predicting that the situation could worsen.

The situation in Bangladesh had also improved as water levels of various rivers had receded and upstream water from India had reduced, officials said.

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Greek Firefighters Battle New Wildfire Near Athens amid Strong Winds

A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in Keratea, near Athens, Greece, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Giorgos Moutafis
A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in Keratea, near Athens, Greece, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Giorgos Moutafis
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Greek Firefighters Battle New Wildfire Near Athens amid Strong Winds

A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in Keratea, near Athens, Greece, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Giorgos Moutafis
A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in Keratea, near Athens, Greece, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Giorgos Moutafis

Greek firefighters were battling a wildfire south of Athens on Sunday amid strong winds, just hours after managing to contain blazes in a mountainous area also near the capital as well as on an island in the Aegean Sea.

Dozens of firefighters, backed up by 17 water-carrying aircraft, fought to tame the new fire in a sparsely-populated area near the town of Keratea, some 35 kilometres (22 miles) south of Athens, Reuters reported.

Greek television showed at least one house in flames as smoke from burning pine and olive trees billowed into the sky.

With hot, windy conditions across much of Greece, dozens of wildfires broke out over the weekend and authorities advised people to stay away from forested areas.

Firefighters were still engaged on the island of Serifos where a fire had broken out amid low vegetation on Saturday and spread quickly, fanned by strong winds, damaging houses and prompting the evacuation of several hamlets.

The wildfire, which at one point had raged across 15 kilometres (9.3 miles), damaged holiday homes and storehouses, the island's mayor, Kostas Revinthis, told Greek television.

Another fire in the mountainous forest of Parnitha near a nature reserve just outside Athens had eased by Sunday morning, officials said.

The strong winds are not expected to abate until later on Sunday, meteorologists said.

Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean country but have become more devastating in recent years as summers have become hotter, drier and windier, which scientists link to the effects of climate change.

After last summer's deadly forest fires and following its warmest winter on record, Greece developed a new doctrine, which includes deploying an extra fire engine to each new blaze, speeding up air support and clearing forests.