Arson is suspected in deadly fires in Greece, says government

LONDON – The arsonists probably unleashed the forest fires that killed at least 85 people in Greece this week and nearly wiped out a seaside town, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Friday. Fires were the deadliest disaster in the country's recent history

After the end of the three days of national mourning declared by Mr. Tsipras, political tensions increased with the death toll, while questions persisted as to who was responsible and how the government "assumes full political responsibility for the tragedy," Tsipras said at a cabinet emergency meeting on Friday. afternoon, and he urged his government's ministers to do the same, "as heavy as this"

But the Prime Minister failed to spell out how the government's mechanisms for managing such a disaster were able to failed, and instead blamed poor urban planning and arbitrary housing at Mati, a coastal village in the east of Athens, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, the party founder who is the junior partner of the coal government, has been criticized on Twitter. after that he suggested that some of the residents were to blame for not being able to escape the roaring flames.

"In Mati and in this coast of Athens, all these properties, the majority is without a license," he said in an interview with the BBC on Thursday, after he was heckled by residents rancorous premises. "And they occupied the coast without rules",

"After this tragedy, I think it's time to understand that it's dangerous for them and their families not to follow the rules and the laws. "

At a press conference held Thursday night, government officials raised the possibility of arson and also attributed the disastrous impact of the fire to the weather conditions extremes caused by climate change. Their statements have sparked a lot of criticism, opposition politicians and citizens blaming the government for trying to deflect responsibility.

"I do not find any serious operational error," said Nikos Toskas, Minister of Civil Protection. He said that he had resigned for reasons of conscience, but that the prime minister had refused to accept it

. Tsipras 'emergency meeting comes after a statement Friday by the main New Democracy opposition party, which condemned the government for "its inability to protect citizens' lives and wealth" and for the "unfathomable nerve" "not to apologize. [19659002] "Why were there not enough fire departments in the area?" Asked the party's statement. "And why was not an evacuation ordered?" Survivors and other witnesses to the fires were asking for the same thing: "There was no evacuation order," said Sissy Katsouda, 51, a Pikermi city councilor. a telephone interview. "There was no organized plan, there was no escape route, people burned to death, if the area had been evacuated it would not be there. the same number of victims. "

On Friday afternoon, the government declared that 85 people had been killed by the fires, while the Greek media set the figure at 87. The victims drowned while trying to swim safely , as flames descended from hills to beaches

More than 100 people were still missing on Friday, and authorities warned that the death toll could rise. Residents of at least 1,000 homes have been displaced.

Claims that looting was a motive behind arson were refuted by the government.

The Prime Minister argued that with Greece on the verge of regaining its financial autonomy, a decade after the debt crisis, the government will not allow the security of the nation to be compromised.

"It is our responsibility not to allow anyone, no matter what obscure center they belong to, to stop our progress and to move away from our goal." Tsipras said.