Spain's prime minister visits fire-stricken island
08:01, 3 August 2009
MADRID. August 3. KAZINFORM Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero visited an island in the Canary archipelago on Sunday to inspect the damage caused by forest fires and oversee firefighting efforts, Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
"I'm conscious of the damage done; I've witnessed it myself," said Zapatero, who cut off his holiday to visit the island of La Palma.
As many as 2,000 hectares of forest may have been destroyed on the island, where 4,000 people fled their homes because of the fires, local authorities said.
Local media reported on Saturday that forest fires have killed 11 people in the nation and destroyed 75,000 hectares of forests as of Aug. 1.
The Spanish government has confirmed that most of the fires that have occurred were caused by human factors. In June and July, 51 arsonists were arrested across the nation, Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version.