Police, fire chiefs replaced in wake of deadly Attica blazes
The office of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Sunday announced new chiefs of the Greek Police and the Fire Service following widespread criticism of the response to the deadly wildfires that ravaged Attica last month.
Greece's new fire service chief is Vasileios Matthaipoulos while the new police chief is Aristides Antrikopoulos, the PM's office announced following a session of KYSEA, the country’s decision-making body on defense issues. Both men are ranked lieutenant general and currently deputies in their respective forces.
It is expected that the general secretary for civil protection, Yiannis Kapakis, will also be replaced in due course.
The changes at the helms of the two services on Sunday came two days after Citizens' Protection Minister Nikos Toskas resigned over the fires. His duties are to be covered by Interior Minister Panos Skourletis for the time being.
An 85-year-old man who was being treated at the intensive care unit of Athens’s Evangelismos hospital for burns suffered in the blaze died Sunday raising the death toll to 90.
