Gran Canaria: Wildfires displace 4,000 on holiday island

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) -Around 4,000 people have been evacuated as wildfires rip through Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.

The fires, which started on Saturday, are advancing on two fronts in a mountainous area of the island.

Ten planes and helicopters, as well as about 700 firefighters on the ground including 200 from the military, are being deployed.

Efforts to tackle the fires are being hampered by high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity, officials say. (Foreign Media Reports)