The death toll from the floods which ravaged Thessaly, in central Greece, rose further on Sunday, rising to fourteen deaths, according to firefighters.
The bodies of a 65-year-old man and his 88-year-old mother were found near the town of Karditsa, where rescue operations continue unabated.
A previous report reported twelve deaths.
“A total of 4,250 people were rescued and brought to safety between Tuesday, September 5 at 7:00 a.m. (04:00 GMT) and Sunday, September 10 at 7:00 a.m.,” Greek firefighters said in a statement.
Five people remain missing according to civil protection.
In Volos, the water supply remains problematic, with pumping stations and much of the water supply network having been destroyed during the storm.
“The water is not drinkable,” recalled the Greek Ministry of Health, referring to cases of gastroenteritis.
The entire Pelion region is still affected by power and water cuts while main roads have been damaged by torrential rains.
Firefighters also remain mobilized on the Larissa front where the Pinios river has overflowed and the water has risen dangerously on the outskirts of the city.
Described by experts as an “extreme phenomenon in terms of the quantity of water that fell”, the storm called “Daniel” hit Magnesia on Monday and Tuesday, in particular its capital, the port city of Volos and the villages of Mount Pelion, before affecting localities around Karditsa and Trikala on Wednesday.
This bad weather follows devastating forest fires this summer in Greece, which killed at least 26 people.
As the planet warms, the atmosphere contains more water vapor (about 7% for each additional degree), increasing the risks of heavy precipitation events which, combined with other factors such as urbanization, lead to floods.
In Turkey and Bulgaria, two countries bordering Greece, the torrential rains of recent days have caused a total of 12 deaths.
10/09/2023 17:43:32 – Athens (AFP) – ©2023 AFP
