Fires in Greece kill at least 50 people and wounded more than 150 – Observer



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The fires that have spread in Greece, around the capital, Athens, have already left at least 50 dead and more than 100 wounded, some of them in critical condition. The number rose after 26 people were found Tuesday between two houses east of Athens, advancing to Sky News, BBC and The Guardian, citing the Red Cross. Many of the dead were trapped in the seaside resort of Mati, 40 kilometers from Athens, and were caught in flames in their homes or in their cars. Among the wounded are at least 16 children.

A firefighter tries to put out a fire in Kineta, near Athens. (VALERIE GACHE / AFP / Getty Images)

The Greek Coast Guard also recovered four bodies in the sea, a short distance from the fires. The flames caused many tourists and Greek citizens to flee the fire to the beaches east of Athens. At present, the Greek authorities are conducting research to find, among others, ten tourists trying to escape fires by boat, reveals the BBC

Fires have devastated homes, destroyed vehicles and forced several evacuations. state of emergency and ask for European help. The main sources of fire are in the coastal town of Mati, in the region of Penteli (north-east of Athens) and in the coastal town of Kineta. Since the fires began to spread, hundreds of children have already been evacuated from summer camps.

The formal request for help addressed to the European Union for the dispatch of the means was sent Monday afternoon. The Greek government has requested helicopters and additional firefighters from other countries. Cyprus, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland and France have already acceded to requests for help.

Fires have devastated vehicles and homes like this one in Kineta near Athens. (VALERIE GACHE / AFP / Getty Images)

Greece All the services d & # 39; urgency have been deployed. We will do all that is humanly possible to control this, "said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who anticipated his return to Athens after a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina to monitor the situation at the Unified Coordination Center [19659005] The Interior (Public Order), Nikos Toskas, urged citizens and suggested that fires could have been caused.This is the worst summer of fires in Greece since the summer of 2007, when more 80 people died in the flames that spread between late June and early September, but this year could be more serious: in just two days, there are already five dozen dead.

Hundreds of firefighters continue to try to control the big fires that have raged in Greece since Monday afternoon., but the work is hampered by strong winds.

One of the fire survivors, Kostas Laganos, has says that e was precisely the sea that had saved him. Laganos was in the coastal area of ​​Mati when the flames approached. "Fortunately, the sea was there and we went to the sea, because the flames chased us to the water, they burned our backs but we plunged into the sea … Say, my God, we must run to save us, "said the resident, quoted by the BBC

More than 300 firefighters were involved in the fight against fires. One of the fires, about 50 kilometers from Athens, forced the evacuation of three localities, reducing dozens of homes to ashes and causing closure at the same time.

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