In northeastern Greece near the Turkish border, responders confirmed the discovery of burned remains believed to be victims of a troubling incident in Dadia National Forest. The death toll includes 26 individuals, with reports suggesting they might be irregular migrants traversing the area when the fires broke out in the last hours.
Initially, authorities located the burned bodies of 18 people, and shortly after, rescuers uncovered a second group of eight fatalities inside Dadia National Park.
Giannis Artopoios, a spokesman for the fire brigade, noted that the condition of the bodies suggested a chaotic sequence of events after crossing the Meriç river at the Turkish border, where the fires surged in the recent period. He stressed that additional information would come from ongoing investigations.
Police have mobilized a victim identification team and launched inquiries to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Artopoios commented that the 18 bodies were found near a barracks during regional checks. He added that no missing persons had been reported since yesterday, prompting investigators to consider the possibility that some appeared to have entered Greece without authorization.
Hours later, another body was found in the vicinity, an unidentified individual now suspected to be an irregular migrant, bringing the confirmed total to 27.
Authorities in Greece are concerned that more fatalities could be recorded in the days ahead, given that Dadia forest remains a busy transit corridor for individuals moving from Turkey into the country.
Many communities in the region were evacuated due to the proximity of the flames, which flared up amid high heat, drought conditions, and strong winds.
Artopoios explained that evacuation messages were pushed to mobile devices across the region beginning Monday, with alerts also reaching foreign mobile networks.
Greece faced several large fires nationwide, with eight major outbreaks reported in different areas. The most severe incident began Saturday near the port city of Alexandroupoli, located to the east of Dadia, where the main hospital also faced evacuation this week due to the advancing fire.
Images broadcast by Greek media show the sky lit by flames, thick plumes of smoke, and ash falling as winds drive the blaze. A ferry from the port carried 90 patients to General Hospital, while the remaining patients were distributed to other facilities across the region.
State broadcaster ERT reported that several explosions occurred within the hospital complex, possibly linked to oxygen tanks and other equipment.
The smoke plumes from the fires are vast and visible on satellite imagery, stretching hundreds of kilometers to the south. Meteorologists warn that the region will continue to experience high temperatures, dry conditions, and strong winds that elevate fire risk through Friday.