The group of 26, including adults and children, were found lying huddled together mere metres from the ocean.
Nikos Economopoulos, the head of Greece’s Red Cross, told Skai TV: “They had tried to find an escape route but unfortunately these people and their kids didn’t make it in time. Instinctively, seeing the end nearing, they embraced.”
Greece has declared three days of national mourning over the “unspeakable tragedy” in Greece’s worst fire in more than a decade.
Other wildfires have spread across neighbouring regions of Athens including Kineta in West Attica and the Penteli area, north-east of the capital.
Where is Mati in Greece? Where are the fires?
Mati is a beachside Greek resort town, located about 18 miles (29 kilometres) eat of Athens.
The popular tourist destination provides a stop-off point for island-hopping holidaymakers, with many bars and cafes.
The once vibrant town now lies silent with many people searching for their loved ones and pets amongst the charred landscape.
Almost 700 people were rescued by the shoreline by emergency crews and locals, although the local coastguard said six more bodies were pulled dead from the sea.
Evangelos Bournous, mayor of nearby Rafina-Pikermi, said the death toll was expected to rise.
Where else are the fires?
Fires are raging across the Attica region of Greece, surrounding Athens.
On Monday, residents living in the Kineta, about 30 miles west of Athens, were urged to leave their homes as a massive blaze took hold.
Another fire also began in the areas of Penteli and Rafina, north-east of Athens.
Emergency services said Mati’s fire was still out of control but its spread had been slowed by a drop in winds on Tuesday.
The government is using drones to detect any suspicious activity accounting for their cause.
Can tourists till travel to Greece?
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said today the wildfires were “confined to limited areas” and it was still safe for tourists to travel to Greece.
An ABTA spokesperson said the wildfires were located north-east of Athens in the Penteli area and 50km west of Athens, and were unlikely to affect most Brits travelling to Greece.
They said: “This area isn’t a main destination for UK tourists. People on holiday in the region are advised to monitor news reports and follow any advice or instructions issued by the local authorities, their travel company or their accommodation providers.
“Anyone due to travel imminently to the areas affected should speak to their travel company or accommodation provider.”