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The forest fires killed at least 49 people, local authorities said on Tuesday, reporting the death of more than 20 people. near a beach.
Many people headed to the beaches and coastline to escape, fleeing the flames and choking the smoke. More than 700 people were evacuated by sea all night, said Deputy Minister of the Merchant Navy Nektarios Santorinios, whose ministry is responsible for the coast guard.
People cover their faces with smoke near Kineta, after the roads were blocked due to Monday's wildfires. (Thanassis Stavrakis / Associated Press)
The head of the Greek Red Cross, Nikos Oikonomopoulos, told Skai television that a member of a rescue team had the search for 39, a seaside area north-east of Athens had found 26 bodies, apparently families, tight against each other, many of whom hugged themselves
The group would have been discovered near several cars found charred at l & # 39; outside. 19659007] "We ran to the sea"
"Everything happened in a few seconds," said local resident Andreaas Passios, who lives next to the speaker. "I grabbed a beach towel, she saved me, I drenched her, grabbed my wife and ran to the sea."
Passios said that he and his wife stayed for two hours at the seaside. "Gas bombs exploded everywhere, pine cones were burning everywhere."
Residents fled their homes on Monday while "no one was there." a fast fire was crossing a mountain pine forest west of Athens and was producing smoke that was spinning the sky The Greek capital (Thanassis Stavrakis / The Associated Press)
Spyros Hadjiandreou arrived at the scene in search of missing loved ones
"My niece and my cousin were staying here on vacation." I do not know if they came out, "he says," I do not do not know how good they are, I have not heard about it. "
" We could not escape it "
Fires – one to about 50 kilometers to the l & # 39; West of Athens to Kineta, the other northeast of the capital near Rafina – broke out Monday for yet unspecified causes. elon Stavroula Malliri, spokesman for the fire department, one of the survivors of the disaster area near Rafina was the former head of the Greek Communist Party, Aleka Papariga
. A firefighter sprays water at Mati. Regional authorities declare state of emergency in the eastern and western parts of Greater Athens (Thanassis Stavrakis / The Associated Press)
"The police tried to distract us from the Fire, but we could not escape it, "she said," we were stuck in the traffic and the flames were on us. "
Greece solicited international aid from the European Union because on both sides of Athens, the fires destroyed burning cars, burned farms and forests and sent hundreds of people running at full speed.The beaches were evacuated by naval ships, Yachts and fishing boats: the Coast Guard said that 19 people had been found at sea and rescued, 696 had been recovered from the beaches and coastline by boat
Spain was sending two wrestling planes against the fire while C hypre sent 60 firefighters to help fight the flames, Israel and Turkey offered their help in any way possible.
Firefighters reported 156 adults and 16 children in hospital Eleven adults were in serious condition
People stand in the sea near the cars parked on the beach to protect themselves from fire in the town of Mati, East of Athens, Monday night. (1965) The winds reached 80 km / h while the authorities deployed the entire fleet of planes and helicopters of the country to allow vacationers to s & # 39; escape. Military drones stayed in the air in strong winds to help officials direct more than 600 ground firefighters
"We were unlucky, the wind changed and it came with such force that it has shaved the coastal area in a few minutes, said Evangelos Bournous, mayor of the port city of Rafina, a sleepy port serving the Greek islands.
The most deadly fire season in ten years
The Dock became a makeshift hospital, dressed only in their swimsuits, when they came out of the Coast Guard ships and private boats.The operation continued all night.
C & # 39; 39 was the most deadly fire season that hit Greece in more than a decade More than 60 people were killed in 2007 when huge fires swept through the southern Peloponnese
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says his government is "doing everything humanly possible" to deal with forest fires. "
" It's a tough night for Greece, "said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras after interrupting a trip to Bosnia and returning to Athens
. Heavy rains are expected Wednesday in southern Greece
Forest fires are common in Greece during hot, dry summers, and temperatures have recently peaked as high as 40 ° C
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