By Magda Panoutsopoulou
ATHENS
An elderly man, standing outside his house, was using a garden hose to toss water on what was left from his house after Monday’s deadly wildfires in Greece.
The wildfires, which is the deadliest in the country’s recent history, left at least 85 people dead and several others injured. Many more people are still missing, giving hope to their loved ones that they may not be among the victims.
"The whole house has been burned. I made my living here over the years. I am retired and my children have their own families now," Dimitris, who is in his late 70s, told Anadolu Agency.
The scenery reminded of a war stricken country, black buildings and destroyed concrete, fumes coming out of what used to be the entrance of a house.
What was once a colorful surrounding is now showing a black and white picture. Melted appliances inside the house make it obvious that it was used to be a kitchen.
The heat is felt while walking in the garden of the house. The odor burned plastic and material was strong but more evident was the smell of burned flesh. Victims include several young children, amongst them was a 6-month-old baby.
“I hope the state will compensate us, how will we set up our lives from the beginning at this age,” he mumbled while tears were going down his face.
“Me and my wife are alive […] but look how many others lost their families, he said.
Grief is what is engraved in people’s faces. Some have anger for the lack of coordination that resulted in the big death toll and let the people suffer from these horrible deaths.
Katerina Papastavrou, a woman in her 50s who lives in the Kokino Limanaki in Mati, the area where the biggest loss of human lives took place and where authorities discovered the charred bodies of 26 children, women and men, was angry over the lack of coordination from authorities.
“No one gave us right directions, they let the people burn alive,” she shouted in anger.
“People got burned either in their houses or their cars,” she said, adding: “They got trapped and burned alive while trying to escape this inferno.”
Some were standing outside their burned houses and stood there just thinking how lucky they were to be alive.
Maria and Christos Spanos, an elderly couple sitting on the porch of their garden, had nothing much to say.
“I thank God that we are both alive,” they said.
Environmental destruction
The loss of human life was not the only sad outcome from this tragic disaster. Hundreds of animals also got trapped in the flames and burned alive. Dogs and cats that were left behind from their owners also met the same tragic end.
Burned turtles and wildlife corpses scattered in the grounds.
Mati -- a pine-covered area and reach forest surroundings and popular summer resort for Greeks, which lies 29 kilometers (18 miles) east of the Greek capital -- is completely destroyed from the ravaging flames that began on Monday.
More than 1,000 houses and 300 cars have been destroyed, according to the mayor of Rafina.
The government takes no responsibility.
In an interview, Minister of Defense Panos Kammenos and leader of junior coalition Independent Greeks said on Thursday that illegal properties are to blame for Greece’s worse disasters in its recent history.
