Greek fires: Death toll reaches 51

Hundreds of firefighters battled raging forest fires Sunday in southern Greece that have killed at least 51 people. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis declared a state of emergency in a message to the nation on Saturday, adding that action was being was taken "to mobilise all means and all forces" to put out the worst fires in a decade and help those affected, mostly on the Peloponnese peninsula. Greek fires: Death toll reaches 51 "Today is a day of mourning, a national tragedy," Karamanlis said earlier Saturday after a crisis meeting in Sparta city, in the southern Peloponnese. He pointed the finger at arsonists for starting the fires in areas hit hard by summer droughts and multiple heatwaves, and said his government would "do everything in its power to find and punish those responsible." Firefighters said that 22 fires had started after nightfall on Friday, which Karamanlis said "could not have been a coincidence." Four people were arrested on Saturday on suspicion of deliberately starting fires. Thirty-nine bodies have been recovered since Friday near the village of Zacharo in the Ilia region of the western Peloponnese including those of a mother and her four children aged five to 15. These included the charred remains of two groups discovered on roads in the mountainous area inhabited mostly by the elderly in winter but a popular family holiday destination in summer. Four others were found on Saturday near the village of Leondari in the central Peloponnese region of Arcadia. Six more perished Friday on the Mani peninsula, a tourist haven in the southern Peloponnese, including four holidaymakers and a volunteer fireman from a heart attack. From midday on Saturday onwards, flames fanned by strong winds began spreading through the region, with evacuations ordered for about 10 areas, firefighters said. The army and health ministry said that tents, sleeping bags and other supplies were being sent to house those left homeless by the fires, while schools had been commandeered. "It's chaos. Generations of work have gone up in smoke," said Vassilis Viglas, 65, who had returned to the now devastated village of Artemida for the summer. "We are in a state of national mourning," said Greek President Karolos Papoulias. "We must do whatever is necessary so this does not happen again." More than 800 firefighters, along with about 400 soldiers, supported by 11 planes and seven helicopters, were attempting to stop the spread of the flames in the area. Greece's EU partners have responded to appeals for help from Athens. France has sent four Canadair specialised firefighting aircraft, Spain two and Italy one. Sweden has also offered to send an aircraft. Germany, the Netherlands plus Norway have dispatched helicopters. France has also dispatched 60 firefighters, and Cyprus firefighters and fire trucks. Another fire also started on a mountain near Athens, but firefighters were in the process of bringing it under control. A convent had been evacuated there. Another blaze broke out in Keratea northeast of the capital and was moving towards the seaside resort of Lagonissi. On the island of Euboea, northeast of Athens, firefighters had been battling a blaze since Friday night. Evacuations were called for in four different areas. Greece has been battling multiple forest fires since June, fanned by three heatwaves, the latest this week, and months of drought. Tens of thousands of hectares (acres) have gone up in smoke. There was no respite from the heat in sight -- the temperature was forecast to hit a high of 36 Celsius (96 F) on Sunday in the Peloponnese with winds of around 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) fanning the flames. The political opposition has refrained from criticising the effectiveness of the government -- even as the country is scheduled to hold legislative elections on September 16. Forest fires raging across southern Greece (FoNet)

Greek fires: Death toll reaches 51

"Today is a day of mourning, a national tragedy," Karamanlis said earlier Saturday after a crisis meeting in Sparta city, in the southern Peloponnese.

He pointed the finger at arsonists for starting the fires in areas hit hard by summer droughts and multiple heatwaves, and said his government would "do everything in its power to find and punish those responsible."

Firefighters said that 22 fires had started after nightfall on Friday, which Karamanlis said "could not have been a coincidence." Four people were arrested on Saturday on suspicion of deliberately starting fires.

Thirty-nine bodies have been recovered since Friday near the village of Zacharo in the Ilia region of the western Peloponnese including those of a mother and her four children aged five to 15.

These included the charred remains of two groups discovered on roads in the mountainous area inhabited mostly by the elderly in winter but a popular family holiday destination in summer.

Four others were found on Saturday near the village of Leondari in the central Peloponnese region of Arcadia.

Six more perished Friday on the Mani peninsula, a tourist haven in the southern Peloponnese, including four holidaymakers and a volunteer fireman from a heart attack.

From midday on Saturday onwards, flames fanned by strong winds began spreading through the region, with evacuations ordered for about 10 areas, firefighters said.

The army and health ministry said that tents, sleeping bags and other supplies were being sent to house those left homeless by the fires, while schools had been commandeered.

"It's chaos. Generations of work have gone up in smoke," said Vassilis Viglas, 65, who had returned to the now devastated village of Artemida for the summer.

"We are in a state of national mourning," said Greek President Karolos Papoulias. "We must do whatever is necessary so this does not happen again."

More than 800 firefighters, along with about 400 soldiers, supported by 11 planes and seven helicopters, were attempting to stop the spread of the flames in the area.

Greece's EU partners have responded to appeals for help from Athens. France has sent four Canadair specialised firefighting aircraft, Spain two and Italy one. Sweden has also offered to send an aircraft.

Germany, the Netherlands plus Norway have dispatched helicopters.

France has also dispatched 60 firefighters, and Cyprus firefighters and fire trucks.

Another fire also started on a mountain near Athens, but firefighters were in the process of bringing it under control. A convent had been evacuated there.

Another blaze broke out in Keratea northeast of the capital and was moving towards the seaside resort of Lagonissi. On the island of Euboea, northeast of Athens, firefighters had been battling a blaze since Friday night. Evacuations were called for in four different areas.

Greece has been battling multiple forest fires since June, fanned by three heatwaves, the latest this week, and months of drought. Tens of thousands of hectares (acres) have gone up in smoke.

There was no respite from the heat in sight -- the temperature was forecast to hit a high of 36 Celsius (96 F) on Sunday in the Peloponnese with winds of around 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) fanning the flames.

The political opposition has refrained from criticising the effectiveness of the government -- even as the country is scheduled to hold legislative elections on September 16.