Thirteen hide their faces as they appear in Athens court charged with sparking terrifying wildfire on Greek island of Hydra after fireworks were launched from a yacht
- 13 yacht passengers and crew have been marched to an Athens court
- They are accused of lighting fireworks that sparked a Greek island wildfire
- They covered their faces as they entered the courtroom
More than a dozen people have been arrested and made to appear in an Athens court after they were charged with sparking a terrifying wildfire on a Greek island.
A blaze consumed the only pine forest on the island of Hydra on Friday, after the crew and passengers of a yacht launched flares and fireworks from the deck.
Authorities arrested 13 crew members and passengers from the yacht, and they were seen covering their faces as they entered the courtroom in Piraeus, southern Athens.
Prosecutors have requested the temporary confiscation of the yacht, which was named as the Persefoni I – a 176ft-long luxury superyacht.
Witness reports were collected by the Hydra Port Authority from nearby yachts and a captain near the yacht who saw the flares, banned during the high-temperature days in Greece, which has been ravaged by dozens of wildfires this week which have left one dead already.
A terrifying wildfire has broken out on a Greek island after fireworks were launched from a yacht
Authorities arrested 13 crew members and passengers from the yacht, and they were seen covering their faces as they entered the courtroom in Piraeus
Witness reports were collected by the Hydra Port Authority from nearby yachts and a captain near the yacht who saw the flares
The country has been ravaged by dozens of wildfires this week which have left one dead already. Pictured: The island of Hydra
Greece's minister of climate crisis and civil protection, Vasilis Kikilias, said: 'Six airplanes and two teams of firefighters, who had to be absent from dealing with other fires and services, were required to put it out.'
He added that an estimated 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of forest was lost to the blaze.
On Saturday another fire raged on the island of Andros that saw four villages evacuated with planes and helicopters brought in to water bomb the flames.
Greece has toughened penalties for arson, with perpetrators now facing up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 euros (£169,000).
The mayor of Hydra, Giorgos Koukoudakis, expressed 'outrage' after the fire was started late Friday and vowed legal action against those responsible.
On top of calling for legal action against 'irresponsible' people, Mayor Koukoudakis told said that authorities had to create more anti-fire zones and roads through forests.
Greece has been bracing for a difficult summer as authorities warned that strong winds and high temperatures meant there was a 'very high risk' of forest fires.
The Mediterranean country recorded its first heatwave of the year last week, with temperatures rising above 44 degrees Celsius in some locations.
Last year, a fierce two-week heatwave was followed by devastating wildfires in which 20 people died.
