ATHENS - Greek Civil Protection Minister
Nikos Toskas resigned on Friday
in the wake of a wildfire last month that killed 88 people, the
Prime Minister's office said.
Toskas had previously offered to resign after the July 23
disaster in the small seaside town of Mati east of Athens, but
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras refused to accept it.
Toskas reiterated his desire to resign again on Friday
during a meeting with Tsipras, the statement said.
There have been recriminations over what went wrong and led
to the deaths of dozens in Mati where hundreds of people were
trapped by towering walls of flames in their attempts to flee.
Many jumped into the sea to survive but others died, either
in their cars or when they were cornered on the edge of steep
cliffs by the rapidly advancing inferno.
In a statement, Toskas said: "This natural disaster, and the
loss of so many people in Mati, overwhelms my desire to
continue. This is something I had stated publicly from the first
moment.
"I have strived all my life to defend this country and its
citizens," Toskas, a retired army general, added.
The death toll rose to 88 on Friday when a 35-year-old woman
died from her injuries. Her six-month old baby, the youngest
victim, had died in her arms from smoke inhalation as they tried
to escape the flames.
Greek authorities say they suspect the fire was set
deliberately. Arson is thought to be a frequent cause of forest
fires in Greece, a crude method to clear the way for potential
development.
Toskas's duties have been assigned to Panos Skourletis, the
country's interior minister.