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Salamina Fires: Investigation Underway as Authorities Assess Damage
🇬🇷 Greece /Crime & Justice

Salamina Fires: Investigation Underway as Authorities Assess Damage

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Under investigation
  • Authorities are investigating the causes of two fires that broke out in Salamina, Greece, resulting in two deaths and ten injuries.
  • Autopsies on affected areas will begin Tuesday to assess damage and provide state aid.
  • One fire reportedly started near a garbage-filled plot, while the proximity of the second fire raises questions.

An investigation is underway into the causes of two fires that erupted in Salamina, Greece, leaving two elderly residents dead and ten others injured. Autopsies of the fire-ravaged areas are scheduled to commence Tuesday, marking the beginning of damage assessment and the provision of state assistance to those affected.

Kostas Katsafados, Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, announced the initiation of damage assessment and aid procedures following a meeting at the Salamina town hall. Salamina Mayor Giorgos Panagopoulos extended condolences to the victims' families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, describing the event as "tragic" and a "very difficult situation for the island."

Two fires broke out within minutes of each other. The first ignited in the Peristeri area. According to a resident's complaint, this fire may have originated from a nearby plot on Andromachi Street, which was allegedly filled with garbage. Fire services responded promptly, but conditions facilitated the rapid spread of the blaze.

tragic event

— Giorgos PanagopoulosDescribing the impact of the fires on the island.

Shortly after, at 3:03 PM, a second fire started in the Kaki Vigla Seliniou area. The close temporal proximity of the two incidents has prompted authorities to scrutinize them as part of the investigation into the fires' origins. Firefighters discovered two lifeless individuals on Andromachi Street during their extinguishing efforts. These individuals are believed to be an elderly couple residing near the suspected origin point of the first fire.

Of the ten injured, eight sustained burns, while two others suffered respiratory problems from smoke inhalation. The Hellenic Fire Service's Directorate for the Investigation of Arson Crimes is examining all possibilities, including negligence or other causes, while gathering testimonies and evidence from both fire sites. The upcoming autopsies are expected to provide a detailed picture of the destruction and the residents' needs, alongside the ongoing investigation into the fires' circumstances.

a very difficult situation for the island.

— Giorgos PanagopoulosDescribing the impact of the fires on the island.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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