Vathy

Firefighters near the island of Evia are battling a large blaze that broke out in a mattress factory at around noon.

Video footage showed a thick cloud of black smoke coming from the factory, which is located in the mainland town of Vathy, which is part of Evia regional unit.

A week after a fire in a severely overcrowded migrant camp on the Greek island of Samos forced hundreds of people into the streets, daily arrivals on the eastern Aegean islands continue unabated.

Residents of two eastern Aegean islands that host reception centers for undocumented migrants are planning action this week to protest overcrowding at the facilities. 

Businesses on Samos yesterday called a strike for Thursday to demand that the island's center near the village of Vathy be shut down and its 3,685 residents moved elsewhere.