Athens clean-up starts after flood devastation

Death toll: Discovery of another body by firefighters takes figure to 16

Residents on the western fringes of the Greek capital Athens have struggled to clean up the devastation from flash floods that swept through a day earlier.

The death toll from the incident rose as rescue crews searching for missing people recovered another body.

The number of deaths from Wednesday’s flooding increased to 16 after firefighters found the body of a man in the swamped basement of a home in the Nea Peramos district west of Athens.

Yesterday search and rescue operations continued for four more people reported missing since the floods turned roads into violent torrents of mud and debris.

The disaster was among the worst to hit the Greek capital in decades and the government declared a day of national mourning. Flags across the country flew at half-mast yesterday, including at the ancient Acropolis landmark in Athens.

The hardest-hit area was Mandra, a modest working-class district on the western outskirts of the capital. Authorities said about 500 homes and businesses were damaged.

Wednesday’s flash floods, which came after a severe overnight storm, carried away vehicles, collapsed walls, sank boats and submerged a section of a major motorway.

Twelve of the 23 people injured remain hospitalised, including an 82-year-old woman listed as being in a serious condition, the National Health Operations Centre said.

Cars lay piled on top of each other or flung against buildings after being carried away by the torrents sweeping through the area’s streets.

Some houses and businesses saw outer walls collapse, leaving the interior exposed to the elements.

More storms lashed the Greek capital yesterday, temporarily severing traffic on one of Athens’ main central avenues, although they did not cause flash floods.

Local municipalities were providing hotel rooms for those left homeless while the Merchant Marine Ministry said it was making arrangements for a cruise ship to dock on the coast near the affected area to provide temporary accommodation.

It also said arrangements were being made with the army and navy to provide water tankers to transport clean water to residents.

Nearly all the injuries and fatalities occurred in Mandra and the surrounding area. Twelve of the dead were found there while the bodies of two men were picked up by the coast guard after having been swept out to sea by the flood.

Most of those who died had drowned, a hospital coroner who spoke to reporters said.

Picture: AP. A man walks past a car moved by the force of flood water and a damaged house in Mandra, on the outskirts of Athens.