Greece on fire: At least 74 DEAD as DEVASTATING blaze rips through Greek capital

DEVASTATING wildfires have been targeting Greece’s capital Athens and its surrounding cities, leaving at least 74 people dead and forcing hundreds of residents and tourists to flee for their lives.

Greece has declared a state of emergency after at least 74 people died attempting to escape the wildfires raging in the Attica region surrounding Athens.
Terrifying video captured in the seaside settlement of Kineta shows wildfires lapping at homes as residents rush into their cars to escape the devastating force of the blaze.
Greek interior minister Panos Skourletis described the wildfires as a “biblical disaster with human losses” while Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced that “all emergency forces have been mobilised.
Fires first broke on Monday near Kineta and continued to burn through the night, forcing authorities to issue an evacuation order for visitors and residents.
According to officials, the wildfires are the worst to hit Greece since 2007 when dozens were killed in the Peloponnese peninsula, south of Greece.
Regional Greek authorities declared a state of emergency in the eastern and western parts of greater Athens as fires fanned by winds raged through pine forests and seaside towns.
Buses, water trucks and machinery are being provided to help battle the fires.
Greece has called on the EU for assistance and said Cyprus offered firefighters to help them battle the blazes and Spain offered to contribute aircrafts capable of dropping water on the flames.
The mayor of Rafina, Vangelis Bournous, said he thought 100 homes have been burned down.
Stavros Fotiou, vice mayor of the town of Megara, said: “The fire rages unabated.
“We urge residents to head towards Corinth to protect themselves and their children.”
Mati resident Kostas Laganos said the fire burnt his back as he tried to escape the raging inferno: “Thankfully the sea was there and we went into the sea because the flames were chasing us all the way to the water.”
Aleka Papariga, a former leader Greek Communist Party who lives near the coastal town of Rafina, said: “The police tried to direct us away from the fire but we couldn’t escape it.
“We got stuck in traffic and the flames were on top of us. We managed to find a small gap and we made it out.”

Express