Fires believed to have been set deliberately in due to the upcoming Greek elections have killed at least 44 people in the south of Greece.

Entire villages have been destroyed. The prime minister has declared a state of emergency . Allies in the European Union have pledged assistance.

Crews have retrieved burned bodies from residences, local media has the unofficial count at over 50.

Hospitals are overrun with people who have been badly burned, or have lung problems.

Officials had to close a major highway due to a new fire that sprang up near Athens International Airport. Many of the fires are focused in the South, but this new one is to the south east.

The prime minister has said he thinks the fires may have been caused by political extremists, in an effort to disrupt the elections.

The prime minister says that there can be no coincidence. He vows to punish the people who did this. He announced that a fund is set up to assist the victims, and remaining family members.

The hundreds of firefighters, soldiers, and water dropping planes have yet to begin to make a dent in the fires. They continue despite their best efforts.