Yacht passengers charged with arson in Hydra fire case
Greek prosecutors have charged eight adult Kazakh passengers aboard a privately chartered yacht with complicity in arson for a fire on the Saronic island of Hydra last week. Two minors among them are not facing charges.
Greek authorities have sought assistance from Kazakhstan, as the yacht’s renters left Greece without being questioned by authorities.
The prosecution was prompted by new evidence uncovered during a forensic investigation ordered by the prosecutor at the site of the fire. Firefighters reportedly discovered remnants of fireworks in the cove where the blaze erupted.
Meanwhile, the yacht’s captain and first mate have been detained, while other crew members, who were apprehended, were released on bail with restrictions.
Simultaneously, the Piraeus Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched a preliminary inquiry into the firefighting and port authorities’ handling of the Hydra fire case. The focus is on investigating any oversights that permitted the yacht’s lessees to depart Greece despite suspicions of their involvement in the blaze.
