The death toll has climbed to 74 in Greece and is expected to rise as wildfires continue to scorch the coast near Athens.
The two largest blazes, which started in Kineta and Mati, have nearly wiped out entire towns, leveling homes, burning cars and injuring more than 187 people, including 23 children, authorities said.
“Everything happened in seconds,” said Andreaas Passios, who lives northeast of Athens.
“I grabbed a beach towel. It saved my life. I soaked it, grabbed my wife and we ran to the sea.”
More than 700 people so far have been evacuated by sea, authorities said. As tourists and locals raced to the ocean to escape fire and smoke, some found refuge on board military or fishing boats and yachts — and others tried to swim to safety.
“It’s terrible to see the person next to you drowning and not be able to help him. You can’t,” said Nikos Stavrinidis, who escaped into the water, struggling to stay afloat for more than two hours with his wife and two friends. “That will stay with me.”
Among the dead is a group of 26 travelers — families, including children, who were found in a final group embrace at a seaside resort in Mati. They had been trying to flee near the beach before being trapped.
“They had tried to find an escape route, but these people and their kids didn’t make it in time,” Nikos Economopoulos, the head of Greece’s Red Cross, told Skai TV. “Instinctively, seeing the end nearing, they embraced.”
Mati, in Greece’s Rafina region, is a popular destination for tourists, especially families. A few survivors were able to jump off cliffs into the ocean.
“Mati doesn’t even exist as a settlement anymore,” a survivor told Skai. “I saw corpses, burned-out cars. I feel lucky to be alive.”
Both fires broke out Monday. A dry winter and searing summer transformed the region into a tinderbox, and winds exceeding 50 mph intensified the destruction.
Neighboring nations have been quick to offer relief. Spain sent two amphibious planes to a seaside vacation destination, joining Cyprus, Israel, Bulgaria and other nations contributing firefighters and equipment.
“Greece is going through an unspeakable tragedy,” said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in declaring three days of national mourning. It was still unclear late Tuesday how many people remained unaccounted for.
With Post Wires
