ZAGREB, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A body has been found at the site of a massive wildfire that swept through wooded and residential areas in Omis, Croatia overnight, and the number of people injured in the fire rose to 40, police confirmed on Friday.
The fire broke out around 8:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) Thursday in Lokva Rogoznica, near Omis, and quickly spread through grass, low vegetation and pine forest, fanned by strong winds. The blaze rapidly reached nearby settlements and destroyed houses.
Those injured in the fire were treated at Split hospital overnight and on Friday, hospital officials said at a press conference. Of these patients, 14 were hospitalized, and seven were on ventilators, including six adults and a 17-year-old minor.
Around 1,000 people were evacuated from the affected areas overnight, local authorities said.
"This was one of the worst fires we have encountered in recent years," Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said when visiting the burned area on Friday. He said it was a serious, large-scale fire that had spread extremely quickly due to drought and wind conditions, adding that the work of firefighters and emergency services had been exemplary.
Firefighters continued working to contain the blaze on Friday as strong winds hampered aerial firefighting efforts. ■