26 people died in each others arms escaping vicious wildfires that have spread across Greece

REUTERS/Costas Baltas

Firefighters, soldiers and local residents carry a hose as a wildfire burns in the town of Rafina, near Athens, Greece, July 23, 2018.

• 26 bodies, some adults and children, were found huddled together in the resort town of Mati in Greece.
• The bodies were found just several yards from the sea, and were likely trying to escape vicious forest fires that have engulfed much of the region.
• At least 74 people have died and over a hundred more have been injured in the worst wildfires the country has seen in a decade.

26 people were found dead in a resort town in Greece, huddled together after likely trying to escape vicious forest fires that have engulfed much of the region.

Emergency crews discovered the bodies, some adults and children, just 32 yards (30 meters) from the sea near Mati, a popular seaside vacation destination east of Athens.

"We assume they became trapped by the fire because it was so strong and so fast," Haris Malimagolou, a member of the Hellenic Red Cross told The Telegraph.

"Some were huddled together as if trying to protect each other," he said, adding that the victims were badly burned and have not yet been identified.

At least 74 people have died and over a hundred more injured in the worst wildfires the country has seen in a decade.

The fire hit Mati on late Monday afternoon, and has reduced much of the city to ash. The neighboring port town of Rafina was also affected.

Strong winds fanned flames, which engulfed homes and cars.

The coastguard and other ships have rescued almost 700 people who fled the coast by jumping into the ocean, and pulled survivors and bodies from the sea, the BBC reported.

As firefighters continue to tame the blaze, the search for missing persons continued Tuesday.

Alexandra Ma contributed to this report.