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GREECE-FIRE
Greek fire death toll at 94: officials
ATHENS, Aug 11, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The death toll from Greece’s deadliest
fire disaster rose to 94 on Saturday after one more victim died in hospital,
the fire brigade said.
Reports said the latest casualty was a 57-year-old woman.
More than 30 people are still hospitalised after the July 23 wildfire in
the coastal resort of Mati near Athens.
Four senior officials including the minister responsible for the police
and the heads of the police and fire brigade have been removed from their
posts.
The government had insisted that with winds blowing at speeds of up to
120 kilometres (75 miles) an hour, there was little time to mount an
effective evacuation.
It later emerged that the police had failed to properly seal off the
area because the fire brigade had not alerted them to the location and size
of the blaze.
As a result, many drivers were inadvertently diverted into Mati’s narrow
streets and trapped.
Residents fleeing the flames with just the clothes on their backs were
also left unaided on the beaches for hours.
A judicial investigation into possible faults by state officials is
under way.
The relatives of two people who perished in the fires have also sued the
authorities for negligence and exposure to danger.
More lawsuits are expected.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1709 hrs