A local stands next to burnt cars following a wildfire at the village of Mati, near Athens, Greece, on July 24, 2018. [Costas Baltas/Reuters]
The association of relatives of the victims of the Eastern Attica (Mati) wildfire issued a statement expressing its solidarity with the families of the Tempe railway disaster victims.
“Once again, [we express] our absolute solidarity with the relatives of the deceased and the injured. We wholeheartedly wish for the truth to be revealed and for the victims to receive justice, so that the same course of action taken in our case is not repeated,” the statement read.
However, the association stated that it would not participate in an organized manner in the upcoming demonstrations due to increasing polarization.
“However, the polarization that has emerged in recent days leads us to believe that it would not be appropriate at this moment to attend the February 28 demonstrations in an organized manner, in order to avoid any associations or suspicions of exploiting this moment in time.”
On July 23, 2018, a devastating wildfire swept through Mati, a coastal village in eastern Attica, claiming 104 lives and leaving many others injured.