Posted on 07/24/2018 9:19:48 PM PDT by Texas Fossil
Hundreds of residents of the seaside resort of Mati, east of Athens, sought refuge on Monday to nearby beaches to evade the approaching fire that has claimed the lives of at least 50 people.
Heartbreaking photos have emerged of panicked residents trying to escape the rage of the flames and waiting to be rescued by the Greek coast guard and private boats.
(note: many more photos at the link and 2 videos)
--
Greeks Turn to Social Media to Find Missing Persons
A group of Greeks have created an electronic database with photos and names of missing persons following Monday’s devastating fires east of Athens.
By late afternoon on Tuesday there were 25 people missing, whose names and photos have been uploaded to the database.
Greek authorities have yet to provide a number of the missing and are encouraging friends and relatives to provide details to the Fire Service, by calling the 199 number.
However, many who called have complained that their calls are being diverted to other agencies.
Earlier, the Fire Service announced that the total number of dead has risen to 74.
The injured are 188, including 23 children.
(Excerpt) Read more at greece.greekreporter.com ...
Uzay Bulut @UzayB 6h6 hours ago
Mourning with Greece: Deepest condolences to this beautiful nation who lost loved ones in the destructive fires raging near #Athens.
#HelpGreece #PrayforGreece
My heart goes out to them. We are still reeling from the Nuns Fire in October. Fast and vicious.
With out much of a stretch I think we can say with a high probability that this is muslim terrorism.
Steppenwolf came back, Diana’s mom got drunk and missed with the signal arrow
/j
Last I heard about Greece in the news is that they are near broke. How bad is their civil services like fire & police?
24 Jul: AFP: Flames ravage Greek seaside as wildfires kill 74
Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said “15 fires had started simultaneously on three different fronts in Athens” on Monday...
Officials raised the possibility the blazes could have been started deliberately by criminals out to ransack abandoned homes.
“I am really concerned by the parallel outbreak of these fires,” Tsipras said.
Supreme court prosecutors announced they had opened an investigation into the causes of the fire...
https://www.afp.com/en/news/2265/flames-ravage-greek-seaside-wildfires-kill-74-doc-17v5m314
following is not necessarily about Islamic terrorists, but worth a read:
Aug 2007: UK Telegraph: Greek fires blamed on ‘culture of arson’
Greek authorities battling forest fires for the fourth day in a row yesterday attacked the country’s “culture of arson”, which has been widely blamed for the catastrophe.
Prosecutors want to use powers of investigation usually reserved for terrorism cases to track down the culprits, while a senior government minister said they posed an “asymmetric threat” - language usually reserved for suicide bombers...
***Politicians in Italy yesterday called for “decisive action” against arsonists who have been blamed for fires that have killed 13 people this summer.
Authorities believe most of the fires were deliberate, with reports of the Mafia paying arsonists to clear land wanted for profitable development.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1561542/Greek-fires-blamed-on-culture-of-arson.html
I have called my cousins in Athens. So far, they are all safe. The thinking is that this is the result of arson. It seems every year there are wildfires, but this is the worst in a decade.
Greece is broke. As far as civil service goes, the police are a joke (the tourist police are an even bigger joke). The only time you ever see them is near the Acropolis, in the Plaka region and near the home of the president. Otherwise, they are too busy drinking Greek frappe coffee. In all my visits to Greece, I have NEVER seen them patrolling the highways. I always drove as fast as I wanted to. It's insane!!!
I don't know much about their fire department (referred to as "fire brigades" in Greece). I know they have a few aircraft for water bombing. I did visit a fire station last year in Volos, which is 3-4 hours north of Athens. It seems their trucks are larger and can hold more water than most American trucks, but I have been told the reason why is that they don't have the vast system of hydrants like we have here in the US. The smaller towns and villages do not have a fire station, so the nearest one may take time to respond. And if you live in mountainous terrain or on the smaller islands, it becomes even more challenging.
Greece simply is hard-pressed to fight this on their own and have appealed for help. I have read that Italy, Germany, Poland and France have sent planes, vehicles and firefighters to help. No word if Turkey is helping. I don't know if the US is offering assistance.
To be honest, I doubt this is the result of Muslims. More likely this is the result of domestic anarchists. There are plenty in Greece. The politics are insane there. Arson sparked wildfires are almost a yearly thing. This is the worst in a decade.
A number of major “wildfires” in America have been intentionally set but the news usually comes to light months later with about a day’s coverage in the national media. “move along”
Yeah, that kind of body count and fast spreading.
Sure sounds like arson. Sounds like coordinated arson.
Sounds like Muslim terrorism.
But then, I wear a tinfoil hat.
[More likely this is the result of domestic anarchists]
Interesting. Well, whomever it was, find them and hang them.
Soon.
Sounds like a country on the Venezuelan road.
Just another intended consequence of the "Arab Spring" program.
The fires of our own West fall under the same suspicion.
This will be the next global fad.
"Local government officials confirmed the Red Cross report that volunteers found the charred bodies of 26 people near a popular beach-side taverna. Apparently the victims tried to reach the sea from nearby homes but they did not make it."
Yes.
Recent Turk(Islamist)/Greek tensions are high. Captured soldiers and threat about offshore drilling.
If Erdogan does not self destruct, it will have to be dealt with.
Note details here:
Coalition Strikes Kill High-Value ISIS Members
I considered posting this yesterday, but decided not to.
Turkey is commonly using arson on crops and forests in Turkey, Iraq, Syria. Lots of photos lately.
They uproot or burn huge olive groves in Efrin (Afrin) just for hate.
Recent:
Forest fires: for profit in the West, a weapon of war in the East
https://anfenglish.com/news/forest-fires-for-profit-in-the-west-weapon-of-war-in-the-east-28324
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