Deputy minister lashes out against natural disaster expert

Alternate Health Minister Pavlos Polakis railed against natural disaster expert Costas Synolakis from the Technical University of Crete on Saturday, after the latter argued earlier this week that authorities had time to evacuate an area in eastern Attica devastated by a deadly wildfire last July.

The fire killed 99 people and destroyed the largest part of the seaside resort of Mati. No evacuation order was given by the fire service.

Commenting on his private Facebook page, Polakis urged the university professor to "clean up" a power pole outside his house from vines to avoid being electrocuted "in case of rain or fire."

In his post, the minister named a specific address for the house. It is unclear whether this is Synolakis' real address.

The study, presented by Synolakis and five more experts, found that the hour and a half between when the...