July 26 -- ATHENS, GREECE -- Deadly blazes raging near Athens could be the work of arsonists, a Greek politician said Thursday, as the death toll from the fires rose to 83 and the search for dozens missing went on.
"There are indications that lead us towards this notion," Nikos Toska, deputy minister of national defense, said Thursday evening.
According to satellite images, several of the fires had broken out within the briefest period of time to the west of the Greek capital.
East of Athens, where more than 83 people have died, the blazes have spread quickly due to strong winds and high temperatures. "There are not only indications, but signs, of arson here," said Toskas, who did not provide more details.
State radio broadcaster ERT reported that a man from Ireland and a man from Belgium were among the victims.
Earlier Thursday, volunteers and emergency responders combed through charred homes in the hard-hit towns of Mati, Rafina, Nea Makri and Neos Voutzas. "We'll search every house," the spokeswoman for the Greek fire brigade said on television.
Distraught relatives of the missing were handing over DNA samples at the Athens morgue where remains were being identified. About 30 people remain unaccounted for.
"We have taken DNA samples from all relatives of the victims and missing and will have the identification results in the coming days," said medical examiner Ilias Boyiokas, describing most of the remains as "charred."
Officials said they will have a clearer idea of exactly how many people are still missing once the bodies are identified.
All of the fires that had posed a threat to residential communities have been extinguished. The chance of fire was only "slight to mild" on Thursday, according to civil services. Firefighting planes and manpower from Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Romania had helped the cause.
Fire officials have not said what caused the blazes to erupt Monday, though the mayor of the village of Penteli, located near the affected coastal towns, said he believes sparks from a downed power line ignited the fires.
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