At least 24 dead in forest fires in Greece

At least 24 people died and more than 100 were injured when a forest fire swept through a small seaside resort in eastern Greece, with many victims trapped by the flames [19659002] miles) east of Athens, was by far the worst of the country since the flames devastated the southern Peloponnese peninsula in August 2007, killing dozens of people. Monday afternoon's fire was one of those that erupted in the country amidst a sweltering heat wave.

"Mati does not even exist as a village," said a woman at Skai TV, Greece. "I saw dead bodies, burned cars, I feel lucky to be alive."

Mati is in the Rafina area which is a popular retreat with local tourists, especially retirees and children in summer camps.

Dimitris Tzanakopoulos, spokesman for the government the death toll has exceeded 20 while more than 88 adults and 16 children were injured.

The Coast Guards later said that the bodies of four other people were recovered from the sea.

A month baby who died of smoke inhalation.

A Reuters witness witnessed at least four deaths on a narrow road obstructed by cars heading toward the shelter of a nearby beach.

Hundreds of people had fled as the fire was closed near the shore. They were picked up by pbading boats.

Some parts of Mati still smoked white smoke early Tuesday. Burnt cars were scattered outside the closed buildings where the three- and four-storey buildings bore signs of fire damage.

"We are dealing with something completely asymmetrical," Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said.

Greece has launched an urgent call for help to fight the fires that have raged in many parts of the country, destroying houses and disrupting major transport routes.

Cyprus and Spain offered their help Air and Land Forces partners of the European Union

The Inferno dominated the country's first pages on Tuesday, with such headlines as that "fire killer" and "hell" and newspapers reporting fears that the death toll would increase. they would use a US unmanned drone on Tuesday to monitor and track suspicious activity.

Tsipras and Greek officials have expressed doubts about the fa

Forest fires are not uncommon in Greece, and a relatively dry winter has helped create current conditions of tinder. It was not immediately clear what ignited the fires.

Reuters witnesses reported seeing a hill of houses ripped open by flames east of Athens. A mayor said he saw at least 100 homes and 200 vehicles burned.

During a fire on Monday, the Greek authorities urged residents of a coastal region west of Athens to abandon their homes by ferociously closing one of the the busiest motorways in Greece. stopping rail links and sending plumes of smoke to the capital.

The Athens-Corinth main highway, one of two road routes to the Peloponnese Peninsula, was closed and rail services were canceled. -Reuters