Croatian Defence Ministry is ready to send firefighting aircraft to Greece, in order to provide assistance in battling the worst wildfires to hit the country in over a decade.

Extreme drought and strong winds have resulted in a string of wildfires on three main fronts in the Greek Attica region. One front is currently out of control, near the seaside resort area Mati Beach.

The Attica region, which has a population of around 3.5 million people, is home to the Greek capital Athens, the port of Piraeus and a number of suburban towns.

After consultations with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krsticevic made a decision to have two firefighting aircraft Canadair CL-415 on standby for the purpose of providing assistance to Greece should the government ask for help.

Over 50 people were killed in the disastrous fires, and hundreds of others were forced to flee their homes, sometimes the only way out being into the sea.

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