The sister of one of the two victims of the deadly fire in Xylokastro has criticised the authorities for failing to respond for at least eight hours in the search for the missing individuals. According to her statement on the morning of 20 September, the two people had been missing since 9 pm, but official search efforts did not begin until 5 am the next day.

Speaking in a phone interview with SKAI, the victim’s sister described the conditions surrounding the fire that ravaged Xylokastro and other areas of Corinth. She emphasised that “the fire surrounded them, the fire brigade left, and they were told to leave, but they said they would stay to help.” She added that she wasn’t entirely certain whether they had actually been instructed to leave.

“They were on two motorcycles, and one of them was burnt,” she said, highlighting the urgency of the situation. She further expressed frustration at the lack of infrastructure and organisation, holding the authorities accountable for not starting search operations immediately.

“Yes, the army came, yes, the fire department came, and yes, some helicopters arrived, but they were just sitting on the road. The fire wasn’t on the old National Highway,” she remarked, calling for more decisive action from agencies such as the Special Disaster Response Unit  (EMAK). “We weren’t looking for two animals; two people were missing,” she stressed.

She also pointed out the human cost of the tragedy, mentioning that “the other victim’s wife will give birth in 20 days.” In an emotional conclusion, she asked, “What kind of world are we handing over to our children? What exactly are we voting for?”

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