iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
British Prime Minister promises 'the biggest reimagining' of the NHS since it was founded 76 years ago
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Madeira wildfire brought under control after 11 days
The blaze, which started on August 14, has burnt more than 5,000 hectares of vegetation
A Spanish Canadair hydroplane flies over a wildfire raging through Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo mountain range on Friday near to Santana on the Portuguese island of Madeira. AFP
Firefighters have brought under control a large forest fire in the Portuguese island of Madeira that had been burning for 11 days, but authorities said on Sunday they would remain on the ground to stop it flaring up again.
The blaze, which started on August 14, has burnt more than 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) of vegetation, mostly in mountainous areas where the slopes are steep and the access is often difficult.
"The fire has now been brought under control, but cannot yet be considered extinguished so the teams will remain vigilant on the ground to prevent possible reignitions," regional civil protection commander Antonio Nunes told news agency Lusa.
Attempts to fight the flames have been hampered by adverse weather conditions, including high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity.
EU authorities provided two Canadair planes to help put out the blaze. The regional government said there had been no injuries, no houses torched and no essential infrastructure destroyed.
The Atlantic island of Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal with around 250,000 residents and is a popular tourist destination.
Rising global temperatures due to climate change have led to more frequent wildfires, from southern and eastern Europe to North America and parts of Asia.
More news from World
Talks have so far failed to reach a deal to end the 11-month-old war
Women take on more jobs traditionally filled by men
The Tokyo-based startup aims to follow the success of US-based Intuitive Machines, which in February made the world's first private moon landing
Mission is riskiest yet for Elon Musk's SpaceX
Wealth inequality and climate change are other issues the pope may address
Biden declares federal state of emergency for Louisiana
Some schools have told students to stay home for the rest of the week, while thousands of residents of low-lying areas have been evacuated