A wildfire in northeast Greece has killed 18 people, possibly illegal immigrants, fire department deputy spokesman Ioannis Artopios said at an emergency briefing on Tuesday.
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A strong forest fire has been raging in the Alexandroupolis area since Saturday, and it has not been possible to bring the fire under control.
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“During the fire in Alexandroupolis, during an inspection by the fire brigade of the Avantas district, the bodies of 18 people were found near one of the buildings. Considering that there were no reports of disappearances or missing residents from the surrounding areas, the possibility that people were into the country illegally,” Artopios said.
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He recalled that on Monday, evacuation messages were sent to the emergency number 112 in the area. Messages were also transmitted to mobile phones of foreign networks located in the area.
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“The leadership of the Greek police has already activated a group to identify the victims of the disaster. Checks are ongoing throughout the area where the fire broke out and continues,” a fire service spokesman said.
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The day before, the body of a deceased man was found near this area in the Dadia-Lefkimi National Park, the authorities believe that he is an immigrant.
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Two days ago, an elderly shepherd was killed in a massive forest fire in Boeotia in central Greece.
