Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has apologised for failures in tackling the week-long wildfires that forced thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes.
The fires first began in forestry last week, burning more than 56,000 hectares, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. More than 2,600 people had to be evacuated from Evia, the country’s second largest island, on a flotilla of boats.
But Mitsotakis made a public apology on Monday, days after locals expressed outrage at the response from services.
He promised that mistakes would be identified and rectified but called for unity.
“I fully understand the pain of our fellow citizens who saw their homes or property burned,” he said, adding, “Any failures will be identified. And responsibility will be assigned wherever necessary.”
He also approved a €500 million package of aid for Evia and the Attica region around Athens.
Ministers are to meet on Tuesday to discuss further support measures.
Elsewhere in Europe, Italy is also facing devastating wildfires. The country’s civil protection authority warned on Monday of more danger to come as temperatures in parts of the country reach 45C.
Firefighters have already dealt with 44,442 wildfires in Italy since June 15, compared with 26,158 last summer, with the majority occurring in Sicily followed by Puglia, Calabria and Sardinia.
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