In an interview with the BBC, Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said that residents’ illegal construction of homes along the coast in eastern Attica contributed to Greece’s worst wildfire disaster in more than a decade.
Kammenos said it was a “crime” for homeowners to build in forested areas because it blocked off escape routes.
Upon recently visiting the village of Mati — which suffered the worst of the damages — the minister faced anger from locals who have accused the government of incompetence and lack of planning for an emergency response.
“No one notified anyone, the fire engines didn’t come. Nothing!” one woman yelled at him as the local mayor and head of the military stood nearby, “You let people burn for no reason. You left us to the mercy [of God].”
At least 83 people have been reported dead, but the number is expected to rise as search teams continue looking for dozens who are missing; 60 people have also been hospitalized, 11 of them in intensive care.
Hundreds survived by fleeing toward the sea as their homes burnt to the ground, but many victims such as the injured or elderly could not make it to the water.
Kammenos denied accusations that the Greek government failed to protect its citizens.
“Mati and this coast of Athens, all these properties, the majority [are] without a license,” he said, adding that residents have lived on the coast “without rules.”
Rafina Mayor Evangelos Bournous said one in four houses had been destroyed in the blaze and half of the others partially damaged.
He also defended the military, arguing that the fire would have decimated the entire area if the army had not been able to stop it.
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