Unidentified Remains Found in Mati Wildfire Mass Grave

The news in Greek

1. πυρκαγιά (f.)
   μεγάλη φωτιά που προκαλεί καταστροφές ↩︎
2. απώλεια (f.)
   όταν χάνεται κάτι σημαντικό, όπως ζωές ή περιουσία ↩︎
3. ανακαλύπτω
   βρίσκω κάτι που ήταν άγνωστο ή κρυφό ↩︎
4. λείψανο (n.)
   υπολείμματα από ανθρώπινο σώμα ή αντικείμενο ↩︎
5. μαζικός
   που περιλαμβάνει μεγάλο αριθμό ατόμων ή πραγμάτων ↩︎
6. δικαιοσύνη (f.)
   η δίκαιη μεταχείριση ή κρίση σε μια κατάσταση ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: What happened in the summer of 2018 in Mati, Greece?

Question: What do the families of the victims want?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
πυρκαγιά (f.)	fire
απώλεια (f.)	losses
ανακαλύπτω	discover
λείψανο (n.)	remains
μαζικός	mass
δικαιοσύνη (f.)	justice

Read the full story

The revelation was made public by the Association of Families of Victims and Burned Persons associated with the disaster, igniting fresh concerns over the unidentified human remains and the true death toll of the fire. Documents that recently came into the possession of the association led to this disquieting disclosure.

According to the association’s President, Sophia Angeliki Chamilothori, and General Secretary, Aristeidis Cherouvim, correspondence from a fire department official to the prosecutor requested “arrangements for the burial of parts of human remains and biological material, as well as animal bones.” This communication underscores longstanding suspicions that not all remains were properly identified or processed.

The association accuses the authorities involved in the burial of the mass grave of effectively contributing to a cover-up of the actual number of victims. Relatives have been pressing for answers, highlighting not only the ethical implications but also raising questions about whether the full truth of the death toll will ever come to light.

This mass grave was sanctioned by the Municipality of Marathon, which provided the land for burial. It came to light through a series of documents, including a deputy mayor’s decision dated April 2019, which permitted the internment of these remains. However, upon further investigation, more documents revealed the stark truth that some aspects of the burial were mismanaged or potentially concealed.

Testimonies related to these events describe instances where bodies were misidentified and later required DNA testing after family members raised concerns. One witness recounted discovering that a body buried as their relative did not match their DNA, leading to subsequent legal actions.

There is also an intimation of disrespectful handling of the deceased, with the mingling of human and animal remains, which is reportedly against legal procedures that demand separate and sanitary measures for animal bones.

Despite the passage of six years, the families of those who lost their lives continue to seek closure, demanding that the full truth be uncovered and respected. They vow to keep advocating for transparency and justice for their loved ones, pushing for an open acknowledgment of the actual number of victims affected by the tragedy.

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