Greek bank workers walked out on strike today in protest at the deaths of three young colleagues who were trapped in a bank torched by protesters during demonstrations against the government’s austerity measures.

Yesterday’s deaths, the first such fatalities in protests in nearly 20 years in Greece, have shocked the public in a country where violence during demonstrations is frequent but rarely results in casualties.

President Karolos Papoulias said: “I have difficulty in finding the words to express my distress and outrage.

“Our country came to the brink of the abyss. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we don’t step over the edge.”

The deaths came as about 100,000 people marched through Athens during a nationwide strike against additional austerity measures imposed to unlock a 110 billion euro (£96 billion) rescue package from the International Monetary Fund and the other 15 countries which use the euro.

Politicians were debating the measures today and were to vote on passing the draft Bill tonight.

Salaries

Greece urgently needs the first instalment of the rescue package if it is to avoid defaulting on May 19, when it has 8.5 billion euro (£7.3 billion) in bonds maturing. The measures cut salaries and pensions and put up taxes.

Yesterday’s demonstration quickly turned violent, with hundreds of protesters trying to storm Parliament, shouting: “Thieves, traitors.”

Demonstrators ripped up paving stones, hurling them and petrol bombs at buildings and police, who responded with repeated barrages of tear gas.

At least two buildings, the bank and a branch of the Finance Ministry, were set alight.

Police said today that 41 officers were injured, along with 15 civilians. A total of 70 people were detained.

A senior fire department official said lives could have been saved but demonstrators prevented firefighters from reaching the burning bank.

The bank workers’ union, OTOE, called a strike for today to protest over the deaths of two women and a man, aged between 32 and 36.

But many banks in central Athens remained open.