Fireworks

Nine people were arrested at the Athens Olympic Stadium stadium on Saturday during a soccer match between crosstown rivals Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, as police conducted extensive security checks.

In a statement on Monday, police said the suspects, aged between 17 and 46, were nabbed as part of an ongoing crackdown on sports-related violence.

The captain of the privately chartered yacht which caused a pine forest fire on the island of Hydra with fireworks on June 23 has reportedly taken full responsibility for the incident.

Significant developments have been recorded in the case of the fire that broke out in Hydra at the end of last June, burning 300 acres of forest.

As protothema.gr reports, the captain of the yacht confessed that he was the one who threw the fireworks that caused the fire.

Late last night, one of the victims of the fireworks warehouse explosions near Elin Pelin passed away despite the best efforts of medical teams. Prof. Nikolay Gabrovski from Pirogov Hospital confirmed at a briefing this morning that the deceased was a 48-year-old man who succumbed to severe injuries.

The wildfire that is believed to have started on Hydra from fireworks launched from a luxury yacht did not surprise those who know how private vessels operate in the Greek seas. 

Their number is so high that it is impossible to ensure compliance with even the most elementary safety rules. We need a clearer and stricter framework and intensive inspections.

As 13 crew members accused of starting a devastating wildfire on the Saronic island of Hydra sparked by fireworks shot off the privately chartered yacht they were working on prepared to face a magistrate on Wednesday, the individuals who had hired their services were allowed to leave the country without being questioned.

Videos show fireworks being thrown in the area of Parnitha, while Attica was on red alert for a fire outbreak

The 13 individuals arrested over the fire in Hydra, which was allegedly started on Friday by fireworks launched from a yacht they were on, will appear before a prosecutor in Piraeus on Sunday.

The luxury yacht allegedly involved in a fire that broke out on Friday in a remote spot on Hydra is now near Vouliagmeni marina, south of Athens, where, according to information, the authorities intend to make arrests.

It is understood that a captain of a nearby vessel boat who witnessed the incident has provided authorities with a statement.

The first two months of tight measures to combat sports-related violence are beginning to pay off, according to statistics compiled by the Hellenic Police (ELAS).

Indicatively, violence, the use of smoke bombs, flares and firecrackers in soccer stadiums has been reduced significantly compared to autumn 2023, with such incidents spilling over in some cases in smaller categories.