Former top Greek fire officials convicted over deadly blaze, victims’ relatives angry at acquittals

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A court in Athens on Tuesday convicted a former Fire Service chief and nine others for their roles in managing a 2018 wildfire that killed more than 100 people outside the Greek capital.

The hearing was disrupted by protests from victims’ relatives after several former civil administrators on trial were acquitted.

The fire, which broke out in the seaside area of Mati, east of Athens, spread rapidly due to strong winds. Many residents died in a chaotic attempt to escape — either by car through a dense forest or fleeing into the sea.

Senior officials from the Fire Service and civil protection agencies were found guilty of negligence resulting in loss of life and breach of duty for failing to safely direct the evacuation. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Wednesday due to the delay caused by the courtroom protests.

“My daughter went there for one day and never made it out. No one told her to leave,” Eleni Siapkara, dressed in black and holding a white rose, told reporters. “They destroyed our family.”

Her 35-year-old daughter, Calliope, died in the fire. Siapkara joined other grieving relatives outside the courthouse where they released black helium-filled balloons in remembrance of the tragedy.

Six of the defendants were initially found guilty in a trial that concluded last year, but an appeals court prosecutor challenged the verdict, leading to a retrial. None of the defendants was jailed while awaiting the outcome of the second trial.