Τhe body of one more person has been found charred in the forest of Dadia in Evros, north-eastern Greece. The fire victim was most possible a migrant, raising the number of migrants who lost their lives in the wildfires to 20.
The body was found with burn injured in the area of Lefkimmi on late Thursday afternoon, at the point where the destructive and deadly fire in Evros passed through and where another migrant was found charred on on Monday, August 21, 2023.
On Tuesday, August 22, the bodies of 18 migrants were found charred in the forest of Dadia. Among the dead were also two children.
Speaking to Reuters news agency, coroner Pavlos Pavlidis said that one group of seven to eight bodies were found huddled together in what appeared to be a final embrace. Others were buried in the wreckage of a shelter destroyed by the flames.
“They realized, at the last moment, that the end was coming, it was a desperate attempt to protect themselves,” Pavlidis said.
DNA samples have been taken form the bodies in an effort to identify them and have an answer to relatives who may seek them.
The fire in Dadia has been raging since beginning of the week.
Spokesperson of the Fire Service, Giannis Artopoios, said on Friday that two suspects of arson are being sought, while investigation being carried out in depth.
Copernicus EU Fire Monitoring System, reported that the burned areas in Evros is the largest burned area on European soil in years.
#EMSR686 #Alexandroupolis #Greece🇬🇷
Our #RapidMappingTeam has delivered its 2⃣nd Monitoring Product for the large #wildfire burning in East Macedonia and Thrace Region
With a total burnt area of 7⃣2⃣,3⃣4⃣4⃣ ha🔥, this wildfire is the largest recorded on 🇪🇺European soil in years pic.twitter.com/qXdxAmsRuK
— Copernicus EMS (@CopernicusEMS) August 24, 2023
It is the biggest in Greece in the last 20 years, meteo.gr reported.
