Greek court finds 10 guilty over deadliest wildfire

by IANS |

Athens, June 5 (IANS) A Greek appeals court has handed down prison sentences to ten individuals for their roles in the 2018 Mati wildfire, the deadliest in modern Greek history.

The devastating blaze tore through the coastal resort town of Mati near Athens, claiming 104 lives and injuring more than 140 others. The tragedy shocked the nation and drew widespread criticism over the failures in emergency response.

Among those convicted were senior officials from the Fire Brigade, as well as regional and municipal authorities. An elderly resident was also found guilty of unintentionally igniting the fire by burning dry vegetation in his yard.

Xinhua quoted a report by the state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), that the court on Wednesday ruled that the actions and omissions of those convicted significantly contributed to the magnitude of the disaster.

The court issued cumulative prison terms ranging from 238 to 340 years. However, under Greek law, the actual time to be served will be substantially reduced. Four individuals are expected to serve up to five years in prison, while others may see their sentences converted to financial penalties.

Emotional scenes unfolded in the courtroom as families of the victims expressed both grief and outrage. Greek public broadcaster ERT reported that some relatives wept openly and confronted the defendants, demanding apologies.

On the evening of July 23, 2018, strong winds rapidly drove flames through the seaside town, turning the popular holiday destination into a deadly inferno within hours. The fire engulfed two coastal communities, scorched more than 14 square kilometres of land, and destroyed or damaged over 3,000 homes.