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Greece spends millions over fire damage
Athens (AFP) Feb 11, 2009 Greece has spent 600 million euros (776 million dollars) to replace homes and livestock lost in devastating forest fires nearly two years ago that killed 77 people, officials said on Wednesday. But authorities overseeing the reconstruction effort admitted that only around 11 percent of homes had been rebuilt thus far. "Nobody can expect homes to be torn down and be rebuilt in areas that lack the necessary construction crew in two years," public works ministry general secretary Dimosthenis Katsigiannis told a news conference. A state recovery fund which has more than 205 million euros in donations has received 1,425 requests from owners of damaged and destroyed homes mainly in the Peloponnese peninsula, the island of Evia and parts of central and western Greece, fund chairman Petros Molyviatis said. Of these, Katsigiannis said 161 homes have been completed. The figures do not include the reconstruction of two villages in the Peloponnese -- Artemida and Makistos -- that were badly damaged and are being rebuilt by the Cypriot government and the wealthy Vardinogiannis family. Peloponnese residents have accused the government of dragging its feet over making recovery payments. A controversy erupted last year when media revealed that three million dollars donated by the Australian government for fire relief was being spent on a new town hall in Zacharo, the main town in the western Peloponnese region hardest hit by the fires. Related Links Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology
Investigators blame China's state TV station for fire tragedy
Beijing (AFP) Feb 10, 2009Investigators Tuesday blamed China's state TV station for a huge blaze at its new headquarters that engulfed a hotel, saying fireworks it illegally set off to celebrate the Lunar New Year caused the fire. |
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