As Greek fire closed in, a desperate dash ended in death
26 almost escaped in blaze that claimed at least 79 people
MATI, Greece — They nearly reached the water.
As wind-fueled wildfires that killed at least 79 people in vacation areas outside Athens bore down on their seaside resort, 26 men, women and children gathered in the hope that they could find the narrow path leading to a small staircase down to the water.
The gated entrance stood only a dozen paces away, but with smoke blotting their vision and choking their lungs, they appear to have lost their way. Officials found their bodies the next day, Tuesday; several were still clinging to one another.
At sundown, an eyeglass case, a belt buckle, the carcasses of dogs and the shells of cellphones dotted the still-smoldering field where they fell.
Greece, a country that understands tragedy all too well, woke Tuesday morning to its worst one in a decade. In addition to those killed by smoke or fire, or who drowned in the sea while trying to flee, 187 people were hospitalized, more than 20 of them children. Ten people remained in serious condition, the government said Tuesday night.
The fires forced the evacuation of thousands of tourists, as well as residents and retirees, from this vacation area about 20 miles east of Athens. Flames were still licking at the fields of Kineta, about 30 miles west.
“We will do whatever is humanly possible to control it,” Greece’s prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, said in a televised statement on Tuesday as he announced a state of emergency in the Attica region, which includes Athens.
The government, which has declared three days of mourning, dispatched forces from the army, coast guard and fire brigades. It has also called in help from the European Union to quell the fires.
“We mustn’t let mourning overwhelm us, because these hours are hours of battle, unity, courage and above all solidarity,” Tsipras said.
The acrid smell, wafts of smoke and pools of incinerated garbage lent this seaside community an apocalyptic air on Tuesday. The streets were slicked black and police lights reflected off the broken windows as tow truck operators raised and lowered the ashen remains of burned cars onto flatbed trucks.
Elena Apostolov, a pet store owner, walked around with an empty pet carrier. “We’ve found nothing,” she said.
Danae Koliou, 23, sidestepped dead bodies in the morning and picked up an abandoned cellphone with 48 missed calls.
Firefighters wore gas masks and rescue workers collected bags of crackers, Argos orange juice, bread and cereal for the hungry survivors, many of whom had lost everything.
“Everything is bad,” said George Roumeliotis, the president of the local civil protection task force.
Residents said the flames had come fast.
“There was a smell of smoke, but just the smell,” said Antonis Tsiongios, 60, who had vacation property here. “And then two hours later, the fire was here.”
By then, he said, it was too late to escape. The street out of town was clogged with cars and engulfed in flames.
“The only road,” he said, “was the sea.”