The Fire Department is in deep mourning following the deaths of two firefighters, aged 23 and 44, who lost their lives at noon on Saturday (November 14), during a firefighting operation at an abandoned building in Zefiri. As their families and colleagues mourn their loss, investigations into the circumstances of the tragedy are in full swing, with authorities having already made three arrests and searching for one more person.
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They are 23-year-old firefighter Giorgos Zympidis and 44-year-old deputy firefighter Ilias Valatsos, who were participating in the firefighting operation at a building on Katsantoni Street. The two men were trapped in a basement and were pulled out unconscious, while another colleague, aged 43, was injured.
It is particularly tragic that the 23-year-old had graduated from the Fire Academy in Ptolemaida just a few months earlier, effectively beginning his career with the Fire Department.
The two firefighters were transported to Attikon Hospital, where they were pronounced dead, while their injured colleague was taken to the 251st General Air Force Hospital. According to the latest reports, his life is not in danger.
Three arrests in connection with the fire—44-year-old father sought
The most significant development in the investigation occurred on Saturday night, when authorities arrested a 34-year-old woman and her two minor daughters, aged 13 and 16, under the procedure for crimes caught in the act. Meanwhile, the woman’s 44-year-old husband and father of the two girls is being sought.
According to the preliminary investigation materials gathered by officials from the Athens Arson Crimes Investigation Unit, in cooperation with the Arson Crimes Division and the Zefyri Police Department, the family was living on the ground floor of the abandoned building. They used a wood-burning stove for heating, and, according to the evidence so far, the family members are believed to have disposed of combustion residues in the stairwell.
Investigators are examining the possibility that these remains caused the fire that led to the fatal incident. During the on-site investigation, trash, plastics, and other flammable materials were found; these are being examined to determine how the fire started and spread.
According to the official statement, the evidence gathered so far suggests a possible causal link between the accumulation of combustion residues and the outbreak of the fire. However, the preliminary investigation has not been completed, and the exact sequence of events remains under investigation.
See photos of the burned-out, abandoned building in Zefiri:
How the tragedy unfolded
It all began around 11:40 a.m. on Saturday, when the Fire Department’s Operations Center was notified of a fire in an abandoned building on Katsantoni Street in the municipality of Fyli. Twenty firefighters with six vehicles from the 10th, 6th, and 12th Athens Fire Stations, as well as personnel from the 1st Special Rescue Unit (EMAK), were dispatched to the scene.
During the firefighting operation, firefighters entered the building to attempt to contain the flames. Initial reports indicated that part of the structure had collapsed, resulting in a loss of communication with two of the firefighters who were inside. A search and rescue operation was immediately launched to locate and free them.
The two men were pulled out unconscious and taken by EKAB ambulances, but they could not be saved.A third firefighter managed to escape the building and was transported to the hospital, having sustained injuries and suffering severe shock from the events that unfolded.
The Two Scenarios Surrounding the Firefighters’ Deaths
The circumstances under which the two men lost their lives are the main focus of the investigation. Although it was initially reported that part of the building had collapsed, new evidence from the autopsy and photographs of the interior have painted a different picture of exactly what happened.
According to information broadcast by ERT, investigators are examining two main possibilities. The first is that the two firefighters slipped or lost their balance on an internal staircase, causing them to fall into the basement and sustain serious injuries.
The second, which is considered the most likely according to the same report, is that they became disoriented inside the basement due to thick smoke, limited visibility, and particularly difficult conditions, resulting in their inability to locate the exit.
According to this account, the two men may have died from smoke inhalation after the air in their breathing apparatus ran out. Photographs from the scene do not appear to confirm initial reports of a widespread collapse of a wall or floor, a possibility that is also being investigated.
The exact circumstances of the accident and the causes of death will be clarified by the results of the forensic and technical investigations.
“They stepped on the ladder and fell into the void”
The description provided by the president of the Panhellenic Firefighters’ Association, Konstantinos Papantonis, who spoke with tears in his eyes about the information he had gathered from his colleagues. As he reported, inside there was a narrow, spiral staircase leading to a basement filled with trash and flammable materials.
“My colleagues stepped on the staircase and fell through the opening,” he said, clarifying, however, that he was relaying what other firefighters had described to him and that he could not confirm all the details.
According to his description, the underground space was extremely confined, and the fire had created conditions that made rescue efforts difficult.
This testimony reinforces questions about how the two firefighters ended up in that specific area and why they were unable to return to the exit.
Sworn Administrative Inquiry and Flags at Half-Mast
To investigate the circumstances of the accident, the Fire Department has ordered a sworn administrative inquiry.
The administrative investigation will examine the operational conditions, the progress of the firefighting efforts, and the events that led to the two firefighters becoming trapped. At the same time, the preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire is continuing in order to determine any potential criminal liability.
By order of the Fire Department chief, flags at fire stations across the country are flying at half-mast as a sign of mourning. In a statement, the Fire Department’s leadership expressed its deep sorrow over the deaths of the two officers and offered its condolences to their families and loved ones.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also expressed his grief, emphasizing that the loss of the two firefighters serves as a reminder of the immense sacrifice made by those who put their lives at risk every day to protect citizens.
Condolences to the families were also expressed by Evangelos Tournas, Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, and Nikitas Kaklamanis, Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament.
Source: Proto Thema
