Forest fires in Greece: At least 74 dead as fires in seaside resorts near Athens

The most intense forest fires that have struck Greece for decades have left at least 74 dead after the flames hit a popular holiday destination near Athens

. Rafina, a seaside area 18 miles east of the capital Tuesday

But the number of victims seemed to go even higher, with no definite number of missing, and rescue teams forced to check the homes charred and vehicles for the body. 19659004] Rescuers also cleared beaches and deeper waters for survivors seeking to escape the flames, despite difficult conditions at sea.

The fires – one in the west of Athens near the town of Kineta and the other northeast near the port of Rafina – are spreading to speeds that surprise many, trapping hundreds on the beaches.

Fires broke out Monday afternoon during hot, dry weather but the cause was not immediately clear. The aerial photos showed charred expanses of forest and houses.

Other than the dead, including children, hospitals treated 187 people, mainly for burns, and 10 in serious condition.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Tuesday three days of national mourning

"The country is living an indescribable tragedy," he said in a televised speech. "Today, Greece is in mourning and we declare three days of national mourning in the memory of those who perished."

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The Greek Red C Ross said on Tuesday that he found the bodies of 26 people in two villas in Mati village, Rafina.

The Mati fire is by far the worst of the country since the flames devastated the Peloponnese Peninsula in August 2007, killing dozens.

"Mati does not even exist as an institution," said a woman in Skai TV, Greece. "I've seen corpses, burned cars, I feel lucky to be alive."

Mati is a popular retreat with local tourists, especially retirees and children in the camps. holidays.

Hundreds of people were evacuated by ships, yachts and fishing boats. as the fire is closed.

Athens has launched an urgent call for help to tackle several fires that continue to spiral out of control, destroying property and disrupting major transportation networks.

Authorities announced that they would use an unmanned drone from the United States on Tuesday. to monitor and track suspicious activity.

Mr Tsipras and Greek officials have expressed misgivings at the fact that several major fires broke out at the same time,

Wildfires are not uncommon in Greece and a relatively dry winter helped create current tinder-box conditions. It was not immediately clear what ignited the fires.

In a blaze earlier on Monday, Greek authorities urged residents of a coastal region west of Athens to abandon their homes as a wildfire took hold, closing one of Greece's busiest motorways, halting train links and sending plumes of smoke over the capital.

Showers that pbaded over Athens on Monday missed the two biggest fires currently raging, one in Rafina and another at Kineta, 35 miles to the west of the city.

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. 

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, a sign of the urgency with which their occupants sought to flee the flames. Narrow roads quickly became jammed, forcing many to try to escape on foot. The ferocity of the fire melted cars' metal hub caps. 

Many ran to beaches, but even there the fire got so close and the smoke was so thick that dozens swam out to sea despite the rough weather. 

Coast guard and private boats picked up more than 700 survivors from beaches and the sea — but also recovered six bodies. 

"It happened very fast. The fire was in the distance, then sparks from the fire reached us. Then the fire was all around us," said Nikos Stavrinidis, who had gone with his wife to fix up his summer home for a visit by his daughter. 

Mr Stavrinidis, his wife and four friends swam out to sea to escape the smoke, but they quickly became disoriented, losing sight of shore and being swept out farther by the wind and currents. Two of his group didn't survive. 

"It is terrible to see the person next to you drowning and not being able to help him," Mr Stavrinidis said, his voice breaking. The rest of the survivors were picked up by a fishing boat with an Egyptian crew who jumped into the water to rescue them. 

Rafina's dock became a makeshift hospital overnight as paramedics examined survivors, some wearing only their bathing suits, after being dropped off by rescue boats. 

Rafina mayor Evangelos Bournous said his home had burned down and his family escaped by going into the sea. 

The speed of the fires caught many by surprise. 

"Everything happened in seconds," said Andreaas Pbadios, who lives next to the compound in Mati where the 26 bodies were found. "I grabbed a beach towel. It saved my life. I soaked it, grabbed my wife and we ran to the sea." 

Mr Pbadios said he and his wife stayed by the sea for two hours. 

"It was unbelievable. Gas canisters were exploding. Burning pine cones were flying everywhere," he said. 

Among the survivors was former Greek Communist Party leader Aleka Papariga. 

"The police tried to direct us away from the fire, but we couldn't escape it," she said. "We got stuck in traffic and the flames were on top of us. We managed to find a small gap and we made it out." 

Local officials provided housing, food and clothes for those affected. 

Greece sought help in fighting the fires from the European Union. Spain sent two firefighting aircraft, while Cyprus sent in 60 firefighters. Israel, Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy and Germany also offered badistance. 

Over the two days, 47 brush and forest fires broke out across Greece, with most of them quickly extinguished, the fire department said. 

Heavy rain was forecast Wednesday across southern Greece, and there was hope that could help firefighters. 

Forest fires are common during Greece's hot, dry summers and temperatures recently reached up to 40C. 

Additional reporting by agencies