PM: Saving lives government’s ‘top priority’

Saving human lives is the government’s top priority, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a televised address on Thursday as emergency crews battled for a third day to control blazes across Greece.

“Homes can be rebuilt, the trees will grow back, but human loss cannot be compensated,” Mitsotakis said, adding that the state will support those affected by the fires and plegding that the burnt areas will be regenerated.

The prime minister thanked emergency crews for their “superhuman efforts” and urged people to remain united in the face of the catastrophe. 

Mitsotakis also said that the blistering heat wave created tinderbox conditions that helped the fires spread.

“We have a duty to safeguard our country against the reality of climate change,” he said, adding that he is “not looking for an alibi.”