Death toll hits 50 from Greek wildfires

PEOPLE WATCH a wildfire in the town of Rafina, near Athens, on July 23. Fifty people have died and 170 have been injured in wildfires ravaging woodland and villages in the Athens region, as Greek authorities rush to evacuate residents and tourists stranded on beaches along the coast on Tuesday. The death toll soared with a Red Cross official reporting the discovery of 26 bodies in the courtyard of a villa at the seaside resort of Mati. The bodies were entwined and severely burnt, an AFP photographer at the scene said. They appeared to have been caught by the flames trying to reach the sea. The authorities had previously announced 24 deaths and scores of injuries with the majority of casualties found in their homes or cars in Mati, 40 kilometers northeast of the capital. Of the injured, 11 people were in serious condition. Port authorities told AFP they had found four bodies in the sea, including three women and a child who had apparently tried to escape the flames. There were fears the toll may rise further, as people remained unaccounted for. Interior Minister Panos Skourletis said rescue workers were “still searching if there are more missing.” Civil protection agency official Ioanna Tsoupra told public broadcaster ERT, “It’s a national tragedy.” By dawn Tuesday, fires were still burning around the capital, while others broke out elsewhere during the night. Authorities were trying to evacuate inhabitants, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said. “Fifteen fires had started simultaneously on three different fronts in Athens,” he said, prompting Greece to request drones from the United States, “to observe and detect any suspicious activity.” Nine coastal patrol boats, two military vessels and “dozens of private boats” assisted by army helicopters were mobilized to help those stuck in the harbour in Rafina, one of the worst affected areas close to Mati. Evacuees were transferred to hotels and military camps, while worried relatives flocked to the area. Police in the town said they found two Danish tourists out of a group of 10 in a boat at sea off the town and were trying to locate the others. Civil protection chief Yannis Kapakis said he had told Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who cut short a visit to Bosnia to return home, that winds up to 100 kilometers an hour were creating “an extreme situation.” Forecasters said conditions would remain challenging on Tuesday, although showers and falling temperatures were expected in Athens. In the north, more than 300 firefighters, five aircraft and two helicopters were mobilized to tackle the “extremely difficult” situation, Athens fire chief Achille Tzouvaras said.