The captain of the yacht, which was chartered by Kazakh nationals and is linked to the fire in the pine forest on the island of Hydra on June 23, has reportedly accepted full responsibility for the incident.
In a supplementary testimony last week, he acknowledged that the fireworks belonged to him, according to a report from Mega TV.
The captain testified that he had a box containing 15 fireworks, which he set off while the yacht was at sea. However, one of the fireworks fell onto a slope on the island, igniting the fire.
He further stated that he acted on his own initiative to surprise the passengers and received no help from other crew members.
The captain’s testimony is expected to impact the charges against the 13 crew members who are being prosecuted for the blaze in Hydra’s only pine forest, as well as the arson charges against eight Kazakh nationals, including a prominent oligarch.