Three days of mourning after dozens killed
Gale-force winds and intense forest blazes create national emergency around capital
GREEK PRIME Minister Alexis Tsipras declared three days of national mourning for those killed in forest fires that raged through seaside resorts near the nation’s capital, as officials last night revealed the death toll had risen to 74.
Fire service spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri said that a further 164 adults and 23 children are still being treated in hospitals for injuries after the fires broke out near Athens.
One of the fires began to the west of Athens near the town of Kineta, with another starting to the north-east near the port of Rafina – the latter seeing the worst of the casualties.
Twenty-six of the dead were groups of families or friends found huddled together in Mati, near Rafina. Coastguard boats patrolled the shores yesterday near fire-hit areas after more than 700 people trapped by quick-moving flames were rescued from beaches or the sea, where six of the dead were found.
Of the injured adults, 71 remain in hospital on yesterday, with 10 of them in serious condition, while 11 of the children also remain in hospital.
Twenty-six of the dead were found at first light, huddled together in one holiday compound near the sea in the community of Mati, near the port of Rafina. Firefighters, aided by aircraft dropping water, yesterday continued tackling the remaining fires near the capital.
FAMILIES HAVE issued desperate appeals to find missing relatives as the death toll from forest fires that raged through seaside resorts near the Greek capital of Athens rose to 74.
Fire service spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri said that a further 164 adults and 23 children are still being treated in hospitals for injuries after the fires broke out near Athens.
One of the fires began to the west of Athens near the town of Kineta, with another starting to the north-east near the port of Rafina – which saw the worst of the casualties.
Both fires were fanned by gale-force winds that hampered firefighting efforts and sent hundreds of people fleeing to beaches, where they were evacuated by boat late at night.
Twenty-six of the dead were groups of families or friends found huddled together in Mati, near Rafina. Others swam out to sea to escape the inferno and some never came back. Greece endures wildfires every year but the fires that broke out on Monday were the deadliest to hit the country in decades. Fuelled by gale-force winds, they trapped thousands of people on beaches, roads and in homes.
While Greek authorities urged the public to contact them if they were looking for loved ones, many people took to social media, posting pictures of those they were looking for and their last known location before the fires struck.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras declared three days of national mourning for those killed as officials feared the death toll could rise even further, as there is no definitive count of how many people are missing. Coast guard boats patrolled the shores near fire-hit areas after more than 700 people trapped by quick-moving flames had to be rescued from beaches or the sea, where six of the dead were found. Of the injured adults, 71 remained in hospital yesterday, with 10 of them in serious condition, while 11 of the children also remain in hospital. The 26 victims found dead huddled together at first light in one holiday compound near the sea in Mati, near the port of Rafina, appeared to be families or groups of friends, as they were found hugging in groups of three and four. Although the fires had largely abated by yesterday afternoon, they were far from out. Firefighters, aided by aircraft dropping water, were yesterday tackling the remaining areas in the two main blazes near the capital.
Fires continued to burn in other parts of the country too, with one on the island of Crete the most severe.
With the flames were whipped up by gale-force winds that frequently changed direction, many tourists and residents fled towards the coastline.
Some swam out to sea, braving rough water and strong currents to escape the ferocious flames and choking smoke.
The speed of the fire’s advance took many by surprise.
A flotilla of coas guard and private boats evacuated more than 700 people from threatened beaches overnight, authorities said.
Defence minister Panos Kammenos said 88 people had been picked up from the sea by a military vessel.
The British Government’s foreign travel advice said that most visits to Greece, including Athens, are unaffected but advised tourists to keep up to date with local media reports.
The wind changed and it came at us with such a force.
Mayor of Rafina Evangelos Bournous on the deadly blaze that engulfed the resort.