A heart-wrenching discovery has been made in the forested region of northern Greece, which has been battling wildfires for the past four days. The Greek fire service has confirmed the grim finding of 18 bodies in the affected area. Initial reports suggest that the victims might have been migrants. A coroner and an investigation team are en route to the Dadia forest, the site of the tragic incident.
The fires have relentlessly swept through the Evros region in north-eastern Greece, situated not far from the Turkish border. Amid the devastation, the fires have even reached the city of Alexandroupolis, where swift actions were taken to ensure the safety of its residents.
As the flames encroached upon the city’s university hospital, patients, including newborns and intensive care patients, were evacuated to a ferry docked at the port of Alexandroupolis. Such precautionary measures were necessary to safeguard the lives of those vulnerable in the midst of the crisis.
Earlier reports had indicated another tragic loss, believed to involve a migrant, in a nearby village close to Alexandroupolis. In response, emergency services sent mobile text alerts to the surrounding areas, urging people to evacuate and seek safety.
The Dadia national park, located north of Alexandroupolis, has been one of the areas hit hardest by the fires. Since Monday, the fires have rapidly spread throughout this expansive wooded area.
Yiannis Artopoios, a spokesperson for the fire service, stated that the possibility that the 18 victims found on Tuesday may have entered Greece through illegal means is currently under investigation. This arises due to the absence of reports indicating missing local residents.
The Evros region has tragically emerged as one of the primary routes for migrants, particularly from Syria and Asia, seeking entry into the European Union by crossing the River Evros from Turkey. The challenging circumstances of migrants attempting these perilous journeys have cast a shadow of sorrow over the region.
