Greece replaces chiefs of police and fire brigade after deadly blaze

An aerial view shows burnt houses and trees following the wildfire in the village of Mati

Greece replaced the chiefs of its police force and fire brigade on Sunday after a public outcry over a devastating wildfire which killed at least 88 people on July 23.

The heads of both emergency services were replaced with their deputies, a statement from the office of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said. It made no direct mention of last month’s blaze, which tore through Mati, a small town east of Athens.

Civil Protection Minister Nikos Toskas resigned on Friday in the face of strong criticism of the government’s handling of the wildfire.