Three days of mourning have been declared in Greece after wildfires are thought to have killed at least 74 people and destroyed a holiday resort popular with locals.
The fires took hold in the Attica region on the Greek mainland located around 15 kilometres from the capital Athens on Monday, whipped up by strong winds.
Locals were trapped trying to flee the flames and in the resort of Mati some were forced to run into the sea to save themselves.
Mati is a popular local tourist location, particularly for pensioners and children attending holiday camps.
According to The Times the Foreign Office has confirmed one Brit has been taken to hospital to be treated for burns and it is assisting other caught up in the fires.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “Our consular staff are assisting a British man and his family following his hospitalisation in Greece.
“They have visited him in hospital to check his welfare, and remain in contact with the Greek authorities.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by the wildfires in Greece. We are in contact with the Greek authorities about any request for assistance that Greece might have and would look to help where we can, and are assisting British people who require our help.”
Abta advised anyone on holiday in the region to heed local advice from authorities and their travel companies and monitor news reports.
“Anyone due to travel imminently to the areas affected should speak to their travel company or accommodation provider,” the association said.
EasyJet and Tui said they were monitoring the situation and following Foreign Office advice. EasyJet is offering free transfers to alternative destinations.
Television pictures show widespread devastation with card and entire buildings destroyed by the fires.
Greek Prime Minister Tsipras has declared a state of emergency in Attica, saying all emergency services have been mobilised.
The death toll is expected to rise as relatives continue to search for missing loved ones posting pictures on social media.
The bodies of 26 adults and children who apparently died embracing each other were found on a cliff top on Tuesday, according to the BBC.
Nikos Economopoulos, head of Greece’s Red Cross, said: “They had tried to find an escape route but unfortunately these people and their kids didn’t make it in time. Instinctively, seeing the end nearing, they embraced.”
Although wildfires are not uncommon in Greece arsonists are suspected to be behind some of the latest outbreaks after 15 individual fires were reported to have started simultaneously.