Driven into the sea
»»Boats rescue survivors on beaches as death toll hits 74 »»Fire crews get international aid in their race against time
DESPERATE survivors threw themselves into the sea to escape raging wildfires that have killed 74 people in Greece.
Skippers were hailed heroes for using their boats to save thousands left stranded on beaches.
One survivor said the harrowing scenes around capital Athens were like “the eruption at Pompeii”, while interior minister Panos Skourletis described it as a “biblical disaster”.
More than 200 people have been injured. Many of the victims were tourists and the death toll – which includes several families with children – is expected to rise.
And in a shocking development, Greece asked for US drones “to observe and detect any suspicious activity” after it emerged 15 fires started at the same time in three different areas. It was feared they could be the work of criminals who planned to raid abandoned homes.
Hundreds of firefighters were still battling the ferocious flames last night and faced a race against time, with temperatures set to soar again.
Authorities shared heartbreaking stories, including how 26 people trapped on a clifftop huddled together as they burned to death.
A six-month-old died from smoke inhalation and a teenage girl was heard screaming “help” as she ran to shelter under a rock – where she burned to death. Mums were seen running to beaches carrying chil- dren and a man lived after diving into the sea with his back aflame.
A police officer said: “In one village we found a mum, granny and two daughters aged five and six dead in a house. Then we found a mum and dad and two children in a car.”
The group of 26 that perished on the cliff had tried to escape the town of Mati using several cars.
They drove in a convoy along an unpaved trail passing through olive
It reminded me of the eruption at Pompeii and I said, ‘My God, we must run’
KOSTAS LAGANOS ON FLEEING TO SEA AS FLAMES SWEPT IN
groves that they believed would lead to the sea.
But tragically, they made a wrong turn and were stuck with the sheer cliff ahead and the flames behind.
They huddled together as they waited for the end, with parents trying to shield their children from the heat – which melted the tyres of their abandoned cars. The youngest of the group was a baby.
“Within two to three minutes they were all gone,” said Vassilis Karaklis, who was friends with many of the dead.
“I could not stop or do anything to help. I was chasing my wife and daughter, shouting to them to jump in the sea. We were all in a state of panic, shock.”
Survivor Kostas Laganos said: “We went into the sea, because the flames were chasing us all the way to the water.
“It burned our backs and we dived into the water... I said, ‘My God, we must run’. It reminded me of the eruption at Pompeii, exactly that, and I said, ‘My God, we must run to save ourselves, and nothing else’. Terrible.”
Andreaas Passios said: ‘Everything happened in seconds.
“I grabbed a beach towel – it saved my life. I soaked it, grabbed my wife and we ran to the sea.”
Mr Passios said he and his wife stayed by the sea for two hours, adding: “It was unbelievable.
CATASTROPHE
“Gas canisters were exploding, burning pine cones were flying everywhere.”
Evangelos Bournous, the mayor of the Rafina-pikermi area, said: “I saw at least 100 homes in flames. It is a total catastrophe.”
Kostas Koukoumakas said: “What is happening here is a black hell. After I passed by hundreds of burning cars and houses I reached the yard where police said so many people had been found dead.
“Most of them were tourists who had tried to find refuge but did not make it.” As hundreds of firefighters continued to tackle the blaze yesterday, the Greek government sent out a plea for international assistance.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said: “We will do whatever is humanly possible to control it.”
Italy, Germany, Poland and France have already sent help in the form of planes, vehicles and firefighters.
No British tourists have been injured in the blazes but some staying at the Ramada hotel in Mati have cut their breaks short and are coming home.
The Foreign Office said: “There have been wildfires in areas in southern Greece, including close to Athens; they have been confined to limited areas, but within those the impact has been high, with significant loss of life.
“You should keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of the Greek authorities in affected areas.”