The judge expert Dimitris Liotsos which has recorded and analyzed all operational and non-operational parameters that influenced so that fire in the Eye to develop into one of the most murderous in the world, today he continued his testimony before the Three-member Court of Misdemeanors.

Prosecutor Dimitris Liotsos, who carried out an expert opinion by order of the Prosecutor’s Office on the causes of the tragedy, answered questions from Edras about the omissions of the competent services to deal with the fire at its start. The witness was asked about the stuck aircraft and for the lack of ground personnel at critical points and at critical times, who could have calmed the momentum of the fire when it broke out in Dau Pentelis on the afternoon of July 23, 2018, so that time could be properly managed. He also said that no official agency notified the Coast Guard for the situation and for this reason about 700 citizens were saved by private individuals who hurried and collected people from the sea and the coasts.

The judicial expert emphasized again, in contrast to what happened, or rather happened to him as he pointed out from the beginning of his testimony, in Eastern Attica, the exemplary evacuation of residents in Kineta where a fire had broken out a few hours earlier. Dimitris Liotsios once again recorded the aerial vehicles that remained fixed and did not fly during the critical hours when the fire broke out, in contrast to what happened in the fire in Kineta, where from the first five minutes they tried to the starting point of the fire in Gerania, four aerial inside. As he said: “The mobilization in Kineta was immediate. There was a large number of aerial vehicles, but because the fire was in a clear forest, it immediately became uncontrollable. In the settlements that were nearby, the citizens were immediately evacuated and that’s why we only had 14 minor injuries.”

Chairman: When should the residents of Mati be evacuated?

Witness: All data existed before 17.30ESKE also knew from the information of the helicopter that had flown that the fire was reaching the houses. There was all the information and at that time the evacuation order should have been given.

The witness emphasized that in contrast to the inaction regarding Mati, in the camps of the Municipality of Athens in Agios Andreas there was an exemplary, as it developed and proved, removal of the children who were hosted there.

Chairman: In the camps of the Municipality of Athens, how did the evacuation take place?

Witness: The camp manager called the fire service because she saw the smoke at 4.30pm. And immediately gathered the children. The camps operate under a different regime than the organized removals and evacuations. She ruled that the camp should be evacuated and the process proceeded immediately.

Chairman: How was the process?

Witness: The children gathered and left on buses of the Municipality of Athens. The person in charge implemented the evacuation plan she had for the camp

The witness emphasized that from the evidence he collected during his investigation, it follows that the Coast Guard was not informed by an official agency about the fire but from one citizen at 18.50. So the rescues were carried out by private individuals who arrived and collected 700 people.

Chairman: For the notification of the Coast Guard…

Witness:At 6:50 p.m., a citizen verbally informed the Coast Guard and, as stated, no agency sent a document

Chairman : Did the Coast Guard deploy inside?

Witness: The rescue of people at sea was done by private individuals. The Port Authority states that it was not informed by any body.

The trial will continue tomorrow with questions that will be put to Mr. Liotsos by the District Attorney Panagiotis Maniatis.