Two firefighters dead in Zephyri: Mother and daughters arrested for arson
Two firefighters, aged 23 and 44, lost their lives in a fire at an abandoned building in Zephyri. A 34-year-old woman and her two underage daughters were arrested.
Tragedy in Zephyri: Two firefighters dead, three arrested over fire
Two firefighters, aged 23 and 44, lost their lives on Saturday morning (14/11) during firefighting operations at an abandoned building on Katsandonē Street, in the Phylī municipality of Attica. According to Philenews, as part of the investigation that followed, a 34-year-old woman and her two underage daughters, aged 13 and 16, were arrested.
The alert reached the Fire Service Operations Centre at approximately 11:40. Twenty firefighters with six vehicles from the 10th, 6th and 12th Athens Fire Stations rushed to the scene, as well as forces from the 1st EMAK.
While crews were operating inside the building, part of the structure collapsed, trapping several firefighters. Two of them were extracted unconscious and transported by EKAB ambulance to Attic Hospital, where their deaths were confirmed. A third firefighter was extracted injured.
What the authorities are investigating
The Athens Arson Crime Investigation Unit is conducting investigations at the scene. During these, rubbish, plastic and other materials were found. From the preliminary investigation material gathered so far, it emerges that the 34-year-old, her 44-year-old husband and their two underage daughters allegedly left combustion residue from a wood-burning stove in the building's stairwell. They used this stove in the ground-floor area where they lived. According to the evidence, this is linked to the cause of the fire.
Following assessment of the material and with the assistance of the Zephyri Security Department of the Hellenic Police, the 34-year-old and her two underage daughters were arrested as part of summary proceedings. The 44-year-old husband is being sought.
In parallel, the authorities are examining two scenarios for how the two firefighters died: either they succumbed to asphyxiation from the smoke, or they were crushed by the structural materials that collapsed.
"They stepped on the stairs and fell into the void"
The president of the Panhellenic Firefighters' Union, Konstantinos Papantonis, spoke with tears in his eyes about the incident. "There was a spiral staircase, it had a notch, below it was a basement and it was filled with rubbish and fire. Colleagues stepped on the stairs and fell into the void," he said, noting that this is what colleagues who were present had told him. "In the basement below the rubbish that was on the spiral stairs. It was a very small space and they could not get out again, everything was in the fire," he added.
A resident of the area described the moments that unfolded: "At around 11:30 we heard sirens. We went outside, we saw fire in an abandoned building. The firefighters came, then we saw police forces, ambulances. They did not let us get close. It used to be an aluminium workshop, a factory." He noted that "forces came, they were stressed, the firefighters were crying."
Mourning in the Fire Service
"Today the Fire Service family mourns two of its own, who lost their lives in the line of duty," said the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Evangelos Tournas. The minister expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to their injured colleague.
The Fire Service leadership announced that a sworn administrative inquiry will be conducted into the causes and circumstances of the accident. By order of the Chief, the flags of all Services are flying at half-mast as a sign of mourning.
Source: Philenews