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<img clbad = "alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title = "Wildfires kill at least 74 in Greece's" pompeii = "" src = "https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/ uploads / reuters / 07-2018 / 25 / 2018-07-24T065339Z_1_LYNXMPEE6N0FN_RTROPTP_2_GREECE-WILDFIRE.jpg "alt =" MATI, Greece (Reuters) – The Greek Prime Minister has recounted "the indescribable tragedy" that the country has experienced after that at least 74 people were killed forest fires that swept a station, trapped people in cars and on the edge of cliffs as others were forced to jump to survive.
Extent of Monday night's devastation at Mati became apparent at the first glimmers of Tuesday.
streets lined with cars ripped open in the coastal city, east of Athens, melted by the In one area, a group of 26 people were found dead – some were hugged in a hug when the flames closed.
The group, which included children, was found near the top of a cliff overlooking a beach. They found themselves there after apparently looking for a way to escape.
"Instinctively, seeing the close end, they kissed each other," the head of the Greek Red Cross, Nikos Economopoulos
told Skai TV. jump off the cliff to survive, or rush into the sea from the beach.
"We went to the sea because the flames chased us to the water, we burned our backs and we plunged into the water," said Kostas Laganos, a survivor of the sea. Average age.
He compared the ordeal to the destruction of the city of Pompeii, where thousands were cremated by the Vesuvius volcano in 79 AD. "I said – my God, we have to run to save ourselves and nothing else."
At least 74 people were killed, a spokesman for the fire department said, and the death toll is expected to increase. Poland said that two of its citizens, a mother and her son, were among the victims.
We did not know how many people were still missing. , roamed the streets, some looking for their cars burned, others for their pets. The strange silence was pierced by helicopters fighting the fire and the murmur of rescue teams. There were yellow body bags in several areas.
Many people in the area had been unable to escape the fast pace of the fire, even if they were a few meters from the Aegean Sea or in their homes . A Reuters photographer saw at least four people dead on a narrow road obstructed by cars heading for a beach.
One of the youngest victims was a six-month-old baby who died of smoke inhalation. At least 187 people were injured, according to authorities, among these 23 children
"Greece is going through an indescribable tragedy," said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as he appeared on television to declare three days of National mourning. Greece is experiencing one of its most difficult moments, "he said." There is absolutely no word to describe what we are feeling now. "
Flags at the top of the ancient hill of the Acropolis and parliament at half mast
Hell was considered the most deadly of Greece, which ravaged the southern peninsula of Peloponnese for several days in August 2007, killing dozens
On Tuesday afternoon, Mati's fire was contained, but there was still the risk of relighting it in the scrubland withered by the sweltering heat of summer.FIRE "
The fires of Forest are not uncommon in Greece, and a relatively dry winter and a hot summer have helped create the current conditions of tinder. The cause of the current fire was not clear immediately and an Athens prosecutor ordered an investigation into it.
Mati is a popular place for Greek holidaymakers, especially retirees and children in summer camps. One of the missing persons included a woman with multiple sclerosis, dragged out of her wheelchair by her frantic husband as the flames closed, but lost in the chaos that ensued.
Firefighters urged residents to report missing relatives and friends. Some took Twitter and Facebook, posting pictures of young children and older couples that they hoped to find.
Greece has launched an urgent appeal for help to fight fires in several parts of the country, destroying houses and disrupting Cyprus, Spain, Italy, Croatia and the rest of the country. Portugal offered badistance after Greece declared that it needed air and land badets from partners of the European Union [
]. "Our thoughts are with Greece and the victims of the terrible fires," French President Emmanuel Macron said in tweets published in French and Greek
. Pope Francis said in a telegram that he was deeply saddened by the tragedy.
(Additional report by Angeliki Koutantou, Michele Kambas, George Georgiopoulos, Renee Maltezou, Karolina Tagaris, Costas Baltas and Deborah Kyvrikosaios at ATHENS, Philip Pul lella at ROME, Agnieszka Barteczko at Warsaw, Andrei Khalip at LISBON, writing by Karolina Tagaris and Michele Kambas; Editing by Alison Williams)
This story was not edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by self-feeding.
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