Two people died and 700 tourists were evacuated from their hotels overnight following forest fires in northern Sicily.
On Saturday, firefighters in Sicily, Italy, battled fires that had spread to northern regions of the island, including Palermo and Messina.
Hundreds of guests have been evacuated from a hotel in the popular tourist destination of Cefalù following wildfires, which are believed to have left two people dead. The forest fires are believed to have been fanned by strong Sirocco winds and high temperatures.
In Cefalu, east of Palermo, a 42-year-old lady lost her life trying to save her horses, local civil protection reported last night. She was with her father and brothers, but it is believed the heat and smoke caused her to lose her bearings and fall into a canyon, according to the report.
According to the ANSA news agency, a 68-year-old man also died after fleeing his burning house west of Palermo, near Balestrate.
With 300 firefighters on duty to put out local flames, Italian firefighters said rescue forces had been boosted by doubling crews in all Sicilian command areas.
