Athens, Jul 27 (AP/UNB) — Forensics experts are moving ahead with the painstaking process of identifying dozens of bodies from Greece's deadliest wildfire in decades, with coroners aiming to complete the autopsies on Friday.
The death toll from Monday's fire that ravaged a seaside resort northeast of Athens stands at 83. Many of the dead were burned beyond recognition and the identification procedure, relying on DNA samples from relatives, is expected to take a few more days.
Rescue crews continue a house-by-house search of the burnt area while coast guard and volunteer divers scour the sea for any other potential victims. As the fire raged, hundreds of people sought refuge on nearby beaches but the intensity of the heat and the dense smoke forced many to swim out to sea.