One man lost his life and two people suffered burn injuries when a fire broke out this morning in an apartment in Zografou, a middle-class suburb of central Athens. The fire brigades rushed to the apartment-building managed to rescue a man, 57, and a woman 43, but were unable to reach in time a 67-year-old man who had mobility problems. He was found dead in his bed. While the forensics investigate the cause of the fire, it turns out that the three people were living in the apartment without electricity and thus for quite a long time.
Based on several media reports, KTG understands that the three roommates were not relatives to each other but rather friends and that they all had financial problems. The 67-year-old was reportedly living in the apartment as guest. According to some other media reports, the flat was given by a relative free of charge. The three were getting also support by neighbors who were supplying them with food and other items to cover basic needs. But they were unable to pay bills like for electricity. Their financial situation was dire.
It looks like one of the well-hidden secrets in the middle-class suburbs of Athens in times of austerity: people in need live in flats without electricity. Day in, day out, month in, month out.
One more human story, one more human drama revealed by a tragedy.
PS I had recently post the story of a neighbor who has been living without electricity since last March. She will soon have managed to come through a whole year without light in the evening and heating in the winter. Extreme poverty in an EU country in the 21st century.
