Victims of two east Attica fire victims file suit against police officials

The children of two of the 102 victims of the 2018 wildfire in east Attica have filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court against two former high-ranking officials at the Hellenic Police (ELAS), accusing them of homicide with possible intent, exposure to danger and breach of duty.

The plaintiffs accuse the ELAS officers of failing to deploy helicopters that could have saved dozens of lives on the night of July 23, 2018.

“The speed of the wind had decreased considerably and, according to the meteorological data, helicopters could have been dispatched for rescues, while also sending a precise account of the situation to the operations and rescue coordination center,” the suit claims.

It also accuses ELAS of allegedly closing shop at its airborne support department at 9 p.m. on the day in question, lambasting it for “keeping regular hours on the day of an absolute disaster.”

“The death of dozens of our fellow citizens could have been avoided if the state machine and its functionaries had acted responsibly, in accordance with the law,” the plaintiffs claim.

The lawsuit calls for the magistrate investigating the response to the deadly blaze to question five more ELAS officers who were on duty at the specific department.

Dozens of victims' families have sued the state and different departments or officials of the state for their response to the wildfire.