Plot where 26 wildfire victims died is encroached state land

The plot of land where 26 people tried to flee the flames that ravaged the coastal town of Mati last week is state property that has been encroached on, Alternate Environment Minister Sokratis Famellos said in a joint press conference with government ministers on Wednesday.

Rescuers discovered the 26 bodies, including those of small children, huddled together inside the plot, some of them hugging. They were only a few metres away from the sea.

Famellos said the land, which has been built on, is officially designated as a zone for servicing bathers and therefore any construction is illegal.