Firefighters scrambled a helicopter to rescue people trapped by flames in a southern Greek village today, while dozens of fires burned out of control after killing 63 people.

A fire broke out on the fringes of Athens today, burning down a slope of Mount Ymittos and bearing down on a suburb of the Greek capital as wildfires which have killed at least 61 people ravaged vast areas of the country.

Forest fires that have claimed at least 40 lives raged uncontrolled across vast areas of southern Greece today as a new blaze threatened buildings on the fringes of Athens.