Athens, 18 March 2025 (MIA) – I would like to once again say that the Greek Government is showing solidarity in supporting our neighbours, and we are ready to assist with anything necessary, with the hope that such a tragedy never happens again, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tasos Chatzivasileiou, said after visiting Papanikolaou hospital in Thessaloniki, where three injured individuals are being treated, alongside Ministers Timcho Mucunski and Arben Taravari, and Greece’s Deputy Minister of Interior for sector Macedonia and Thrace, Konstantinos Gioulekas, MIA’s Athens correspondent reported.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tasos Chatzivasileiou, noted that “from the very first moment of the tragic accident, the Greek Government showed solidarity and humanity for the people of North Macedonia.”

“Alongside my colleagues, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Health of North Macedonia, and my colleague Konstantinos Gioulekas, we assessed the condition of the patients and spoke with the families of the injured, who expressed their satisfaction with the care their children are receiving here in Greece,” Chatzivasileiou said.

Greece’s Deputy Minister of Interior for sector Macedonia and Thrace, Konstantinos Gioulekas, stated that it is an “unprecedented tragedy,” expressing his condolences and support.

“Greece, from the very first moment, opened its doors, opened the doors of its hospitals. We are treating these young people and supporting their parents and relatives. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Health from the neighboring country came to visit their fellow citizens. According to what the doctors informed us, the condition of the injured is stable, and of course, they are under constant medical care. We sincerely hope that these children who were transferred here will leave healthy and return to their homeland. We are doing everything we can, and the doctors are monitoring them 24/7,” Gioulekas stated.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Timcho Mucunski and Health Minister Arben Taravari visited the two hospitals early on Tuesday in Thessaloniki, where five injured individuals are hospitalized. They were joined by Greece’s Deputy Minister of Interior for sector Macedonia and Thrace, Konstantinos Gioulekas, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tasos Chatzivasileiou.

Mucunski, as previously reported by MIA, told Greek media in Thessaloniki that “this was the most tragic moment in the history of my people, a moment that will forever remain in our collective memory. But what should also remain in our collective memory and never be forgotten is the solidarity we received.”

The Director of the Burns Department, Sophia Papadopoulou, reported on the condition of the two girls and the young man, aged 19, 25, and 26, who were hospitalized at the Papanikolaou hospital in Thessaloniki since Sunday. She said they are in critical condition, and it is still uncertain whether they are out of life-threatening danger. The doctor explained that the three patients have burns ranging from 15 to 25 percent of their bodies, and two of them will undergo a second surgery today, with the third patient scheduled for surgery in the coming days. She also noted that the more serious issue is that they inhaled smoke.

In total, eight people are hospitalized in Greece, with three at Papanikolaou hospital in Thessaloniki, two at the 424 military hospital in Thessaloniki, and three more receiving treatment at the 401 general military hospital in Athens since last night.

Photo: Facebook profiles of Timcho Mucunski and Tasos Chatzivasileiou