ATHENS, July 29 -- Twenty-five persons were still missing after the wildfire which swept through a seaside resort near Athens on Monday, costing 88 lives, Greece's Fire Brigade announced on Sunday.
"Search continues for 25 individuals who have been reported missing by their families," Fire Brigade spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri said in a televised statement.
It was the first time since Monday that Greek authorities gave a number for people missing.
"So far 59 victims have been identified, while the identification process of the rest continued," she added.
Four people had succumbed at local hospitals, she noted.
The funerals of the first identified victims were held this weekend, as the discussion on the causes of the deadliest tragedy in the country in over a decade continued.
Arson, negligence, extremely strong winds blowing in the area, late response by authorities, lack of an emergency evacuation plan and a chaotic urban planning were the main factors highlighted in the stormy debate.
"Greece is not the only country unable to deal with extreme weather events and the image of Greece as a disorganized country where an extreme phenomenon will inevitably lead to massive damage and deaths is unfair," Thessaly Technological Education Institute of Thessaly region Deputy Rector Professor Michalis Vrachnakis said in an interview with Greek national news agency AMNA released on Sunday.
"Recently in an organized country such as Japan we had more than 80 dead due to heat strokes, as a result of an extended heat wave... Climate change and extreme weather are here to stay and systems dealing with such need to be revised," the expert said, suggesting a new "response culture".
Especially when urban spaces extended into dry, flammable zones of pine and evergreen vegetation, as seen in eastern Attica, the local population had to be trained on how to behave and respond before, during and after a fire, Vrachnakis stressed.