GREEK TRAGEDY
Firefighters race to extinguish flames from a wildfire Tuesday in the village of Kineta, near Athens. Raging fires have killed at least 74 people in Greece, destroying homes and forests and sending terrified residents fleeing toward the sea to escape the flames. Story on
RAFINA, Greece — The death toll from Greece’s deadliest wildfires in decades climbed to 74 Tuesday as rescue crews searched on land and sea for those who sought to escape the blazes that engulfed popular summer resort spots near Athens.
The number of victims appeared set to go even higher, with crews checking charred homes and vehicles and the coast guard scouring beaches and deeper waters. There was no definitive coun to f the missing.
Fueled by 50-mph winds that frequently changed direction, the fires — one to the west of Athens near the town of Kineta and another to the northeast near the port of Rafina — spread at speeds that surprised many, trapping hundreds on beaches and cuttingoff escape routes.
All the casualties appeared to be from the fire near Rafina, a popular seaside area that is a mix of permanent residence sand vacation homes. The blaze broke out Monday afternoon during a hot, dry spell but the cause was not immediately clear. Aerial photos showed charred swathes of fores tand homes.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras declared three days of national mourning. Apart from the dead, which included children, hospitals treated 187 people, most for burns, with 10 listed in serious condition.
Although it had abated by Tuesday afternoon, the blaze was far from extinguished and more than 230 firefighters were still trying to put it out, helped by volunteers and water-dropping aircraft. Another five fires continued to burn, with flare-ups reported in the blaze near Kineta. Authorities ordered the evacuation of some communities as a preventive measure.
Authorities urged the public to contact them about the missing. Many took to social media, posting photos and what was believed to be their last location before the fires hit.
Twenty-six of the dead were found after dawn Tuesday, huddled in a compound near the sea in the community of Mati, the worst-hit area near Rafina, about 30 mileswest of Athens.
Red Cross rescuers said they appeared to be families or groups of friends because they were found hugging in groups of threes and fours.
Hundreds of homes and cars were believed to have been burned. Many vehicles were found with the keys still in the ignition and doors open.