I would like to express, on behalf of the political and military leadership, our deep regret for the victims and their families.

We will continue last night’s information. As we already told you, forces of the Hellenic Navy, namely one frigate, one tank landing ship and three helicopters, Special Forces of the Zeta Amphibious Raiders Squadron, available forces of the Hellenic Army General Staff and the Hellenic Air Force fire fighting aircraft and search and rescue means continued their operation to rescue people in danger.

Specifically, as of yesterday at 14:37, as we informed you, we had 88 survivors who were collected at sea and four dead in the area of responsibility of frigate “ELLI”. Search operation is still underway for one missing person. At 14:44, a Chinook helicopter completed the Helocasting that is dropping floating assets with the operating forces. Three unconventional warfare boats of the Underwater Demolition Command arrived at the area of Rafina and Zoumperi and 19 boats of Zeta Amphibious Raiders Squadron were deployed at Rafina.

In parallel, early in the morning, the tank landing ship “IKARIA” arrived at Zoumperi and at 05:32 a C-130 aircraft took off from the 112th Combat Wing to Larnaka and at 05:50, in the early daylight, firefighting aircraft started to operate in Rafina and Kinetta.

At the same time, the Alternate Minister and I, accompanied by the Chief of HAFGS, we flew on board an aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force above the fire hit areas and the wider area of Rafina and Kinetta. Footage from our flight is available for you to inform people.

I would like to say that it is, indeed, a very big disaster in both towns, Rafina and Kinetta. For the first time we had a fire in an urban area and yet with too many simultaneous fronts which led to a great number of victims.

Together with these two fires, at the same time, we are dealing with other fires too. Air firefighting assets have been made available to the Hellenic Fire Service.

After the assessment of the situation and the briefing I had with the Alternate Minister, I spoke with the Prime Minister and we summoned the Defence Council.

The Defence Council performed a first estimation about the action taken so far by the Armed Forces. At this point, I wish, on behalf of all of us, to congratulate again the personnel of the Armed Forces on their professionalism, self-sacrifice and their rapid deployment.

Simultaneously, we are planning our action for the following hours. This planning, as we decided, apart from the action which the Armed Forces personnel takes in any case using the means they have, will also include:

Firstly, organized patrols by trained personnel, according to “Defkalion” plan, to assist the Hellenic Fire Service and the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, either individually or in joint teams, that is together with the Fire Service and the Police, as provided for; thus they will cover potential needs – if this is decided – in fire-hit areas.

Secondly, we had a reorganization of the patrols which are in any case conducted all over Greece by Armed Forces’ personnel and the National Guard for the prevention of fires, and we enhanced our efforts for these teams, under the coordination of the Fire Service and the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, to be more often present where they are mostly needed; they will also be reinforced by the assets which are available, that is unmanned aircraft of the allied forces, unmanned aircraft of the Hellenic Armed Forces, which we already deployed and we will keep them deployed for the next hours and by air assets which will provide additional information.

In parallel, every planning involving the military hospitals has been activated, as the Alternate Minister already informed you, and they are now available to the health system. As it seems, mobile units have not been required so far, but they are available as well to civilian authorities.

We have received a few patients so far in the 251st Air Force General Hospital, at 401st Army General Hospital of Athens and in the Naval Hospital of Athens. This morning I visited, together with the Chief of Hellenic Air Force General Staff and the Command of the Air Force Hospital, the two firemen who were injured. One of them is well, but the other one is still intubated because he had been exposed to smoke, though apparently his life is not in danger. I hope that during the next hours, he will be out of the intensive care unit where he is now hospitalised. There is also a retired Air Force general with breathing problems in the Air Force Hospital. The other hospitals have mostly received minor incidents of eyes and breathing problems. According to the Alternate Minister’s directions, hospitals remain available to receive civilians and to cooperate with the health system.  

Finally, although yesterday night, as I announced, we provided the possibility of accommodating approximately 150 civilians or visitors in the Hellenic Military Academy and an equal number of persons in the Hellenic Air Force Academy and in the Naval Academy, as well as 400 beds in the Armoured Training Centre Camp, there has not been so far a need for civilians to be hosted at military premises.

This is the information so far, regarding the Armed Forces. I would like to assure everybody that the Hellenic Armed Forces are coordinated with every other State body, with the General Secretariat for Civil Protection and the Security Services.

Communication among them is already being conducted at a high political level. I am continuously in contact with the ministers. Every agency has been mobilized, as provided for according to the existent plans, for the coordination of state agencies.

I would like to inform people that, although it is, indeed, an unprecedented disaster which has occurred, the state is alert and it has deployed all the available means.

As far as the Armed Forces are concerned, they will be available to assist civilians, not only in order for the latter to deal with the situation we have been going through over the last hours, but to restore the areas inflicted by the fires as well.  

There are still some fire fronts, but information on them will be provided by the Firefighting Service.