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The number of deaths due to the worst forest fires in Greece for more than ten years rose to 80 as rescuers intensified their efforts to locate those who had disappeared.
Officials said crews were going from house to house and car to car in seaside communities ravaged by forest fires near Athens on Wednesday.
The death of an 84-year-old man, who had been one of the 187 wounded, pushed up the figure of 79 officially declared dead by firefighters.
At least nine people were in intensive care and 11 children had been transported to hospital, the authorities said.
Meanwhile, emergency services reported being inundated with appeals involving missing persons. Although no official number has been published, Ilias Psinakis, Mayor of Marathon, said that there was no doubt that the number of victims would increase.
"Unfortunately, the number is increasing," he told Ant1 TV. "I think that they found five more today – 40 people [in all] disappeared at 5 am this morning when I left the town hall."
At least two-thirds of the homes in Marathon District, including Mati, the seaside resort most affected by fires, were burned, he said. "Of the 1,900 houses in Mati and the 1,100 Neo Voutzas, two-thirds must have burned," said Mr. Psinakis. "These are houses that are no longer habitable."
Constantin Michalos, who heads the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the fires were spread by high winds up to 77 mph and "changed direction to one minute". per minute ", which makes rescue operations particularly difficult. Speaking to RTÉ Radio after visiting Mati, he said: "The region can be compared to Syria only one day of intensive bombing."
This is the worst natural disaster in Greece since forest fires destroyed vast areas of the western Peloponnese. 2007. Sixty-three people died in fires 11 years ago, affecting a much larger geographic area.
A doctor who lives in Mati said on ERT TV: "How is it that in such a small town, so many people perish? Something went very badly.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras declared three days of national mourning.Frequency relief efforts are expected to continue for several days, with four Italian firefighting planes and 64 Cyprus firefighters joining to the operation.
The left-wing government announced that 20 million euros (18 million pounds sterling) in emergency funds would be distributed to help the affected regions. the Greek parliament announced that an additional 10 million euros would be granted to people who lost their homes and loved ones.
Nikos Voutsis, the Speaker of the House, said: "This is part of the obvious support and of solidarity for the hundreds of fellow citizens who have been affected by this indescribable disaster. "
The government faces increasing criticism of its management of the rescue operation, with residents reporting rmant that no emergency plan was implemented when the fires tore up the seaside resorts. Mayor of Rafina, Vangelis Bournous, said that despite the magnitude of the fires, there was no order to evacuate the affected areas.
Dimitris Koutsoumpas, the leader of the Communist Party, said: "The national mourning that the government has declared, and all the great words we hear, can not be an alibi to forget … or cover up on it. enormous responsibility of governments, including this government, over time. "
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