Drone Footage Shows Greek Hellscape After Deadliest Forest Fire In Decades
Drone
footage from Greece's deadliest forest fire in decades reveals a
ravaged hellscape of partially standing structures and incinerated
foliage.
The
fire broke out Monday northeast of Athens in the seaside Rafina
region, racing through the area fueled by gale-force winds and
leaving 82 dead with most burned beyond recognition, as crews
searched for more victims.
Spokeswoman
Stavroula Malliri said the search for further potential victims
continued, So far, she said homes in the area that had not been
destroyed and were shut had not been entered by rescue crews, but
that the search would not end until every building in the area had
been thoroughly investigated.
Apart
from the house-to-house searches in the burnt areas, coast guard and
volunteer divers were also searching the waters off the coast of the
worst affected areas and a nearby deserted island. -CBS
Hundreds
of people fled to nearby beaches after the fires broke out Monday,
with many swimming out to sea to avoid the smoke and flames.
Dozens
spent hours at sea before being picked up by coast guard vessels,
fishing boats and a passing ferry. Several of the dead were people
who drowned.
The
worse affected area was the seaside community of Mati, where the
majority of victims were found, including 26 people found huddled
together, many embracing.
Most
of the bodies have been burnt beyond recognition, meaning
identification was possible only through DNA and dental records. -CBS
Maria
Saridou and her son went to a morgue in the Greek capital to provide
DNA samples as they searched for Saridou's 55-year-old missing
sister, Eleni, who had gone swimming with a friend in Mati.
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