Official death toll from Greek fire raised to 87, 1 missing

ATHENS, Greece – Greek authorities say the death toll from last week’s devastating forest fire near Athens is currently at 87, while one person remains unaccounted for.

The fire service said in a statement Thursday that coroners have so far identified 81 bodies recovered from the scene of the destruction in the coastal Mati region, or from the sea.

Another two bodies that have been burnt beyond recognition have not been identified or sought by their families, while an additional four people succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.

It was unclear whether other bodies remained unidentified.

On Wednesday, the fire service set the preliminary death toll at 85.

Although officials had initially said arson was suspected in the July 23 blaze, there is increasing suspicion it might have been caused by negligence.