Friday 22 February 2013

Heavy rainfall in Greek capital floods basements, disrupts public transport networks



Torrential rainfall caused extensive flooding in Greece's capital Friday, inundating basements and forcing authorities to close major roads and a central subway station in Athens.

A woman stuck in her car reacts as flood waters gush past her during heavy rain in Chalandri suburb north of Athens February 22, 2013. REUTERS-John Kolesidis


A woman is rescued from flood waters by a resident standing on top of her car during heavy rain in Chalandri suburb north of Athens February 22, 2013. REUTERS-John Kolesidis

A woman stuck in her car is rescued from flood waters by residents in the Greek capital.

A young woman who had been trapped in her car on a flooded suburban road died shortly after being extracted by other motorists and taken to a hospital, police said.

A woman is pulled to safety in Athens today.

The cause of her death wasn't immediately clear.


The fire department said it received more than 900 calls to pump out water in the greater Athens region. Up to 60 millimeters (2.3 inches) of rain fell in a few hours, more than the monthly average of 50 millimeters (1.9 inches).
An abandoned house collapsed in the city center, but no injuries were reported.
Police closed underpasses and highways in low-lying parts of the city after they were submerged, while parked cars were swept away by racing waters.
The capital's tram system was shut down for more than an hour, while urban rail schedules were disrupted after a tree fell on the tracks. The rain also caused power cuts in parts of the city.
In Parliament, a worker clearing water from the roof of the main assembly hall during a session tripped and went through a glass skylight, but was pulled to safety by a policeman.
The accident occurred as Cabinet members were preparing to answer questions.
"The worker could have landed on our heads," Sports Minister Yiannis Ioannidis said.


People look at damaged cars following heavy rain in Chalandri suburb north of Athens February 22, 2013. REUTERS-John Kolesidis





No comments:

Post a Comment