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Frantic Greeks flee fires
27/08/2007 19:58 - (SA)
Krestena - Thousands of Greeks
threatened by towering walls of fire fled their homes on Monday
as strong winds fanned blazes that have devastated the country
and killed 63 people in four days.
Greek authorities dispatched helicopters to winch trapped
people out of blazing hamlets, impossible to reach by land,
while EU allies rushed to help.
Greece's worst fires in decades showed no sign of abating,
with dozens raging unchecked from the southern Peloponnese to
Athens and the northern town of Ioannina.
In the Peloponnese, a popular tourist destination for its
stunning scenery, plumes of black smoke poured from burning pine
forests and olive groves, turning the sun a dark red and
sometimes blotting it out. 'Please help us'
"We are burning... Please help us. Where are the
helicopters?" a man screamed hoarsely into his cellphone from
the village of Frixa, trapped in flames.
In a battle to save Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games
in the Peloponnese peninsula, firefighters managed to beat back
fires menacing the ancient stadiums and temples on Sunday.
The government has offered rewards of up to
€1m ($1.4m) for help in tracking down arsonists who it believes played a major role in the fires.
Many local mayors have accused rogue land developers of
setting fires to make way for new construction. Three elderly
people and two boys have been charged with starting fires.
Frantic appeals
With many venting fury at a perceived lack of co-ordination
by Greek authorities, desperate Greeks trapped by the flames
turned to television networks for help, with their frantic
appeals broadcast live.
"We have been left at the mercy of God. We have no water or
electricity. "We have been fighting the fires with tractors and
branches," a woman from Nemouta village in the Peloponnese told
Antenna television.
Overwhelmed by the catastrophe, Greece has declared a
nationwide emergency and sought help from its European Union
partners to contain the fires. Athens covered in white ash
Thinly stretched fire brigades, aided by planes from EU
countries, soldiers and local volunteers, fought to stop fire
reaching towns and villages.
Thousands of people have fled, seeking temporary refuge in
schools, hotels and regional health centres.
The fires covered Athens in white ash that swirled around
the temples of the Acropolis. The smell of smoke permeated the
city and flags flew at half mast in a three-day mourning.
Greek opposition parties attacked Prime Minister Costas
Karamanlis's government for incompetence and Athens newspapers
had front page headlines reading: "Incompetent! Grief for the
dead, Rage for the absence of State" and "Shame for the collapse
of the state".
Greek appeals for aid have brought planes from France, Spain
and Italy. Firefighters from Cyprus, France and Israel have been
rushed in and help from another 10 countries was due on Monday.
- Reuters
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