Home
News
World
Wildfires in Greece Kill Dozens

Wildfires in Greece Kill Dozens

Published: 24 Jul / 2018

Photo from Ukrinform

At least 74 people killed and 164 injured as a result of wildfires near Athens, a Greek newspaper FEMA reports.

Seventy-one people still remain in hospitals. More than a hundred people are missing.

Searches for missing persons are being conducted by pedestrian patrol groups, consisting of 130 Armed Forces and fire brigade members in the areas of Neu Vujza, Mati and Rafina.

Greek authorities have requested assistance from other countries.

The flames are raging uncontrolled in several places across Attica region, as well as Mati, a seaside village popular with tourists.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Blm5yS8jKwm/?utm_source=ig_embed

Since the beginning of July, the temperatures in Greece have been around 38-40 degrees Celsius. Wildfires spread fast because of high temperatures and strong winds.

Alexis Tsipras, the prime minister, said that the situation is “completely asymmetric.”

He has declared three days of mourning. “There are no words to describe the feelings of all of us, these times,” he said during a televised address today.”The country is going through a tragedy,” adding that the events were “unbearable for everyone.”

Hundreds of firefighters are battling against the blaze. Italy, Germany, Poland and France sent planes, vehicles and firefighters to help. Greek authorities also requested American drones to observe the area.

Strong winds brought clouds of smoke to the center of Athens. Many evacuation routes from the city have been blocked. Trains have been disrupted. Numerous flights have been postponed.

The wildfires first started spreading yesterday, July 23. They are the deadliest to hit the country since the blazes that burned through southern Peloponnese in August 2007, killing dozens.