Fire at Violanta Foods factory kills at least four

A fire broke out at a food factory near the central Greek city of Trikala, killing at least four people, the Greek fire department said.

According to local media reports, the fire at the Violanta biscuit factory started in the early hours of Monday morning, with 13 workers on site. Eight people managed to escape.

One person is still missing, but Giorgos Katavoutas, the city’s deputy mayor for civil protection, told the BBC that “given the power of the explosion and the ensuing fire, there is no hope of finding any of the missing workers alive”.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, but unconfirmed reports suggest it may have been a gas leak.

Television footage showed the factory was severely damaged, with parts of the building destroyed and the structure split in two. Thick smoke could also be seen coming from the fire.

Violanta said she was “deeply saddened” by the fire.

“A serious incident occurred at our facility today during the night shift, the cause of which is currently unknown,” Violanta said in a statement.

“We are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities and providing all available assistance.”

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis earlier told the Skye news agency that six workers and one firefighter had been taken to hospital, adding that they were “in good health and mainly suffering from respiratory illnesses”.

The fire department said it had dispatched more than 50 firefighters and 16 fire trucks to put out the blaze.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis mentioned the fires in his opening address to Monday’s cabinet meeting.

“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims,” ​​he said, adding that the fire department was already investigating the circumstances of the incident to “determine responsibility.”