A massive wildfire in southwest France has forced the evacuation of around 55,000 more people overnight, taking the total number of residents displaced in the region to nearly 2,20,000.
The flames are spreading closer to the wine-producing city of Bordeaux. Neighbouring Spain has also carried out evacuations in parts of its eastern coast due to wildfires.
In France’s Gironde region, where Bordeaux is located, strong and changing winds along with dry conditions have made firefighting efforts more difficult.
Authorities ordered evacuations in five more areas southwest of Bordeaux as the blaze continued to spread. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez in a social media post said the situation remains very unfavourable.
He said the fire has affected an area four times the size of Paris and has become highly unpredictable, creating its own winds and moving irregularly towards the Bordeaux metropolitan area.