Greek PM Tsipras visits scene of wildfire disaster

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday paid his first visit to the area ravaged by the country's worst ever wildfires, as anger mounts over his government's response to the disaster which claimed scores of lives. His trip, a week after the fires broke out, was not announced beforehand in what local media said was a bid to avoid protests by residents of the hard-hit seaside communities east of Athens -- Mati and Rafina. The death toll rose Monday to 92 after another body was found drowned near a beach in the affected area, firefighters said. Twenty-five people are officially listed as missing and may be among 28 victims whose bodies are being examined by forensic pathologists and have not yet been identified, local authorities said. On Monday evening, several hundred people held a candlelight vigil for the dead and missing in central Athens' Syntagma square in front of parliament. Tsipras visited the devastated area for an hour, his office said, meeting with local authorities, fire brigade and army officials and volunteers, amid fears the death toll could exceed 100. "We thank you for all you are doing," the prime minister told rescuers, some of whom have been mobilised for three straight days, recovering charred bodies, maintaining security, and working -- amid dwindling hope -- to locate survivors. "Keep morale high," he told a firefighting officer in footage exclusively aired by state broadcaster ERT. "Let the barbs fall on us, not you." The Athens observatory on Monday said the fire had burned an estimated 1,260 hectares (3,100 acres). On his Twitter account, Tsipras said he had "boundless respect" for those who fought "against the odds" in the flames. Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said over 1,000 buildings had been declared unfit for use. Power and water shortages still abound. The government has offered emergency assistance of 5,000 euros ($5,800) to fire-stricken persons. Relatives of victims are to receive 10,000 euros, while minors who lost their parents are to receive a monthly stipend of 1,000 euros, he said. But the leftist government has faced mounting criticism as residents battle to resume their lives with the help of the authorities and volunteers. - 'Like a thief' - The main opposition New Democracy conservatives on Monday said Tsipras had toured the area in secret "like a thief". "Citizens are no longer swayed by PR tricks. They demand to know the truth over why so many human lives were unjustly lost," the party said. The fires struck the coastal communities popular with holidaymakers on July 23, burning with such ferocity that most people fled to the safety of the sea with just the clothes on their backs. Many then had to wait several hours in the water for help to arrive and it was local fishermen, not the coastguard or navy, who came to their aid. Government officials have insisted that with winds blowing at a speed of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) an hour, there was little time to mount an effective evacuation. "The fire burned about five kilometres in an hour and a half. The current estimate is that it would not be possible to evacuate a community of 15-20,000 people in an organised manner," Tzanakopoulos said. He also insisted that cabinet axings were "the last thing" on the prime minister's mind at present. Tsipras has said he assumes "political responsibility" for the tragedy as a bitter debate rages over who was to blame. His political opponents say this is an empty gesture without his resignation. The rightwing and centrist opposition accuse the government of bungling its response in an area habitually hit by wildfires, and of trying to hide the scale of the loss of human life as the disaster unfolded. The government has said there were indications that arson was involved and an investigation has been opened. The vigil for the victims Monday evening, titled "An apology to the dead", was organised by veteran basketball player Yiannis Gagaloudis. Anastasios Giorgiakoupoulos, one of the participants, with a candle in hand said: "We have to mobilise for the dead. The state is non-existant in Greece. It does not protect its citizens and that can't continue any longer." The wreckage of a burnt car near the seaside village of Mati, east of Athens, after Greece's worst wildfires ravaged the region A handout made available by the Greek prime minister's office shows Alexis Tsipras (C) visiting the area ravaged by the country's worst ever wildfires as anger mounts over his government's response to the deadly disaster