Greek yacht crew charged for arson on Hydra island
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Crew members of a yacht are transferred to the prosecutor's office at the courthouse of Piraeus, Greece.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ATHENS - A Greek prosecutor on June 23 charged 13 crew members of a yacht with arson after fireworks launched from the vessel allegedly sparked a forest fire on the island of Hydra, the semi-official Athens News Agency (ANA) said.
The crew, all Greeks, were arrested on June 22 at an Athens area marina
"The crew and the captain will respond to the charges before an investigator on Wednesday," ANA news agency said.
All crew members denied the charges, Greek media reported on June 23. The yacht, which was chartered by foreign tourists, was seized by the Greek authorities.
Civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias told Open TV on June 23 there were witness accounts that they burned part of the forest on the island.
Hydra, southwest of Athens in the Saronic Gulf, is popular with foreign visitors and people travelling on yachts.
The firefighters brought the blaze, which burned part of the island's only pine forest, under control early on June 22. REUTERS
