Devastating Floods in Thessaly: Death Toll Rises to 15, Thousands Evacuated

2023-09-11 07:37:25

The death toll from the floods which devastated Thessaly, in central Greece, rose further on Sunday, climbing to fifteen deaths, according to firefighters. The body of a 42-year-old man was found in the sea in the Pelion region by the coast guard. He was among the list of wanted people, firefighters assured. A previous report reported fourteen 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.,” the Greek firefighters said in a press release. Two people remain missing according to civil protection.

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Sunday the first package of relief measures for the flood-stricken areas in central Greece, as the flood-caused death toll increased to 15. The Fire Brigade says over 4,400 people have been evacuated to safety since Tuesday. #GreeceFloods pic.twitter.com/eMyKh3pbZl

— CGTN Global Watch (@GlobalWatchCGTN) September 11, 2023

In Volos, water supply remains problematic, with pumping stations and much of the water supply network destroyed in 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. These bad weather follow devastating forest fires this summer in Greece, which left at least 26 dead.

With global warming, the atmosphere contains more water vapor (around 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.

By Le360 (with AFP)

09/11/2023 at 7:32 a.m.

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