Crew of Charter Yacht Arrested Following Forest Fire on Greek Island

Bahar O.

According to a BBC news report, thirteen crew members of the superyacht Persephoni have been arrested following a forest fire on the Greek island of Hydra.

Authorities allege the fire was sparked by fireworks launched from the yacht. The blaze, which occurred on Friday, burned through 300 acres of the island's only pine forest, according to Greece's Climate Crisis Minister Vassilis Kikilias. Firefighters struggled to control the flames due to the lack of roads, accessing the area by sea and using helicopters to drop water.

The superyacht, available for summer charter at €249,000 per week, is now at risk of being confiscated as per the public prosecutor's request. Local media reported that the yacht was chartered by 17 Kazakhstan nationals who have since left Greece, although the BBC could not verify this independently. The arrested crew members were seen entering the Piraeus Prosecutor's Office, hiding their faces with sunglasses, masks, and hats.

There is a dispute between Greece's coast guard and the fire department regarding the cause of the fire. Fire officials rely on the statement of a nearby vessel's captain, who claimed to have seen fireworks launched from the Persephoni, while the coast guard asserts there is no evidence to support this claim.