Athens church leader pleads for prayers after deadly wildfires

Wildfires have raged through seaside resorts near the Greek capital, killing dozens of people and causing tourists to flee.

Rescuers battling through the blazes which destroyed homes and forests near Athens discovered 26 bodies huddled together at one holiday compound, all believed to be family members. Some of them were hugging.

Many tourists and residents fled towards the coastline to escape the flames and choking smoke.

Rev Canon Leonard Doolan is the senior chaplain at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Athens.

He told Premier News Hour one member of his congregation was injured in the blazes.

“One person is in fact in hospital here in Athens suffering from smoke inhalation and that person’s house has been destroyed by fire and so has her car.”

A man passes burned cars in Mati, east of Athens, Tuesday, July 24, 2018.

The two largest wildfires – one 20 miles north-east of Athens near Rafina, the other 30 miles west of the capital in Kineta – broke out on Monday during hot, dry summer conditions.

Fanned by gale-force winds that frequently changed direction, the flames spread rapidly into populated seaside towns – too fast for many who were in their cars or homes to flee, fire department spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri said.