Catapult for the lack of an early information system for citizens – such as the “112” that is valid today – in the fire in Mati in 2018, “the second biggest tragedy in terms of number of victims worldwide with dozens of dead, injured and burned in an event of a very short time duration”, as he characteristically said, the prosecutor appeared in the much-lauded trial proposing the guilt of 4 of the first 7 defendants, all high-ranking officers of the Fire Department.

The prosecutor Panagiotis Maniatis he emphasized during his speech that the lack of a citizen information system “had a catalytic effect on so many deaths (104) and the burn victims” and added: “This image does not honor either the Fire Brigade, the Civil Protection or the others involved”.

“If – as he noted – an early removal decision was taken, the citizens would be informed in time by the media. How is this possible? Door-to-door, with sound signals, with passing vehicles and in any other convenient or trial way. The suggestion of an organized preventive evacuation would help the citizens for the coming danger.”

In other words, the public prosecutor highlighted the importance of an emergency communications system, such as the one designed by the New Democracy government in 2019 and implemented in recent years, the now well-known “112”, which has been proven to significantly contribute to the protection of human life life and health.

According to his judgment based on evidence presented during the months-long hearing, if a system like “112” existed in Mati and was implemented as it is today, it would result in saving precious lives and of course there would be far fewer burn victims. and wounded.

“9 people were lost at sea while the Fire Brigade boats were ready to help”

Characteristic is the prosecutor’s reference to the 9 deaths at sea, while “the boats of the Fire Brigade were combative and ready to help”. However, as he underlined, “the defendant, then deputy chief of the Fire Department, Vassilis Matthaiopoulos, did not give an order” (for the mobilization of the watercraft).

“There were many people who sought refuge in the sea from the fire, there were people who drowned and there were also people who were collected many hours later. The Unified Fire Brigade Operations Coordination Center (ESKE) was aware of the existence of people at sea, the ships were available and manned,” he pointed out.

“The state apparatus is destroyed – misunderstanding and lack of means”

The prosecutor was also caustic about the general operation of the state apparatus, which he described as “shattered” referring to “lack of coordination, incoherence and lack of means”.

As he said, “we heard that vehicles arrived at the fire site and they did not even inform us that they had arrived. Vehicles were going to the wrong place or vehicles and firefighters were going and operating at will. Consequently, the problem was twofold: it related to the few means available anyway, but also to the inefficient utilization of the means in the places where they were most needed.”

The prosecutor’s order demonstrates the importance of the infrastructure and technical equipment upgrade program as well as the integration of information technologies and equipment in the field of civil protection, which has been drawn up and is being implemented by the government of the New Republic. The “Aegis” program alone has a budget of 2.1 billion euros, while additional resources are used by other European programs. Today, in fact, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, two state-of-the-art ships were handed over to the Fire Brigade, financed by the 2014-20 operational program.

Guilty for 4 of the 7 – On February 20 the trial for the other 14 accused

The prosecutor emphasized that “the fire brigade did not manage to contain the fire and it gained momentum, a high rate of heat release and developed on two fronts” and suggested the guilt for certain manipulations and specific omissions of four of the first seven defendants, namely: the then chief and deputy chief of the Fire Department, Sotiris Terzoudis and Vassilis Matthaiopoulos, the then commander of ESKE, Nikolaos Fostieris and the then head of the Attica Fire Services, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos.

The public prosecutor’s hearing for the remaining 14 defendants continues on February 20.