Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has expressed his condolences to the families and colleagues of three firefighters who died Wednesday battling wildfires in Crete and the southern mainland.

In a statement, Mitsotakis expressed gratitude for firefighters’ efforts during the huge blazes.

“My thoughts … are with all the firefighters, volunteers and members of the security services fighting on the blazing fronts amid the new harsh reality thay are summoned to deal with every year,” he said.

Mitsotakis has repeatedly linked the wildfires that afflict Greece every summer with climate change and global warming.

Other government officials and opposition parties also offered their condolences.

Opposition leader Nikos Androulakis, who heads the Socialist PASOK party, called on the government to show “active support” for the families of the dead, as well as “all Fire Service staff.” The left-wing SYRIZA party accused the government of failing to show adequate support for Fire Service personnel.

Source: Ekathimerini.com