Yacht crew arrested over Hydra wildfire face prosecutor, vessel confiscated
The 13 crew members of the tourist yacht Persefoni I, arrested in connection with the fire on Hydra island on Friday night, allegedly started by fireworks launched from the yacht, appeared before a prosecutor at the Piraeus court shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday.
Authorities are in the process of temporarily confiscating the Persefoni I, which was chartered by 17 individuals from Kazakhstan.
According to reports, the 13 crew members of the Persefoni I deny any involvement of the yacht with the fire and the fireworks.
If found guilty, they face severe penalties. Causing a fire and ecological destruction without loss of life is considered a felony, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a large fine.
The individuals were arrested Saturday as part of an investigation into the causes of the fire.
The Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, speaking to OPEN channel, stated that the fire burned 300 hectares of forest.
