Death toll in Greece wildfire may rise as search for missing continues
ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Rescue teams, including firefighters, continued to search for an unknown number of missing people on Wednesday after devastating wildfires in Greece reportedly killed at least 74 people in the northeastern coastal area of Athens, EFE reports.
Seventy-one out of a total 187 injured people are still in hospital, out of whom 10 are in a critical condition.
The authorities believe the death toll could rise further as around 25 people are still missing.
Around 130 personnel of the military and firefighters are engaged in the search operations.
Firefighters are still battling to bring the blaze under control in various forest areas of the capital's Attica region, especially in the western part, from where the first fire was reported on Monday.
In the eastern part, where a 15-square kilometer urban area has been devastated, work has began to clear the rubble and restore power supply.
Evanguelos Burnus, mayor of the port city of Rafina - situated around 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Athens - told public broadcaster ERT that all burned vehicles have been removed from the city.
An official of power company DEI said they were substituting damaged electric poles and wires and supply would be restored by Wednesday in areas not directly affected by the wildfire.
Power supply to around 7,500 houses were cut off, including in the Mati area, the worst-hit.
The area is expected to remain cut-off from water supply for 15 days and without power for a month.
According to primary estimates by local authorities, more than 2,500 houses in the localities of Vutza, Nea Makri, Mati and Rafina have been completely destroyed, while another 4,000 have been heavily damaged.