France : Wildfires rage

Paris, July 25 (IANS)  The country's Interior Ministry said firefighters were  tackling huge blazes which destroyed 3,000 hectares in France's southeastern districts and Corsica island, 

The wildfires, whose cause has not yet been identified, ravaged 1,500 hectares of forest in Var and Vaucluse districts and 1,500 hectares in Corsica, the Ministry was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

About 1,000 firemen had been deployed to battle the flames in addition to 19 aircraft, including 10 Canadair water bombers, it added.

Due to strong winds and dry weather conditions, the French government had asked its European Union partners to send two extra air tankers. Four firefighters were wounded with one of them suffering serious injuries in relief efforts. Some 15 policemen were also asphyxiated, according to local reports.