Since Monday, dozens of dead and injured have been fleeing the flames caused by forest fires in Mati, Greece. The consequences have been devastating, dozens of bodies have been found on the beach, some of them embraced.
The fires started on Monday, July 23, in Mati, near Athens.
How did this tragedy begin?
Several fires ravage the Attic coast. According to official sources, at least 74 people have died, including entire families. The strong winds, which became hurricanes, and the high temperatures, which reached 40 degrees, took people who were on vacation by surprise.
Rescue teams saved the lives of more than 700 people. Among the injured were 164 adults and 23 children. The smell of burning floods Athens although the epicenter of the tragedy is Mati.
The saddest image has been that of a group of 26 people who, from Mati, tried to reach the beach. They were families with small children who climbed up a hillside and there, in the courtyard formed by several houses, they embraced before succumbing to the fire. The Red Cross teams found them united, in groups of three and four.
What were the causes?
Strong winds and high temperatures caused 47 fires across the country, leading to this tragedy.
The fires started on Monday afternoon, July 23, in Mati, near the port of Rafina. There are 47 fires in total and 16 have been fatal.
Mati is a tourist resort located 40 kilometers east of Athens. There, in addition to fatalities, the authorities reported more than 1,000 buildings and 300 destroyed cars. This has been classified as one of the most devastating fires that Europe has suffered in this century.
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