Latest reports: Death toll from Attica western suburbs' flooding at 15 (videos)

The death toll from flash floods in Mandra and Megara, western Attica, reached 15, sources from Greece's General Secretariat Civil Protection told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) on Wednesday. 

The victims are 10 men and five women, the source noted, adding that the injured are 17 -eleven men and six women. One of the injured is intubated at the hospital of Thriasio Hospital in Elefsina, where another nine people are being treated. The rest were discharged. 

The latest victim was a man in his thirties whose body was discovered near the Manda-Thivon old highway. The previous two victims include a man who was missing since Wednesday morning and was found in the basement of a house, and a woman, who was found on the grounds of a business.

Missing persons

The final tally is expected to grow further after rescue teams reach a petrol station where two people have been spotted that appear to be unresponsive and are presumed dead, as well as a house inhabited by a man reported missing.

Among the dead are two unidentified bodies located in the sea between Elefsina and Aspropyrgos, which are believed to be two people earlier reported missing in Nea Peramos. A total of seven bodies have been found by the fire brigade, including those of a man and a 95-year-old woman discovered in her home in Mandra.

Sources talking to ANA disclosed that authorities are continuing to investigate reports of missing persons, to determine whether they have fallen victim to the floodwater or have taken refuge elsewhere.

The heavy rain that fell in the area caused charging torrents of muddy water and debris to form in the plains around Mandra and Megara, sweeping everything before them. The force of the water cut off roads, sliced through tarmac, swept away vehicles and garden walls, while flooding homes and firms.

Emergency services have been working continuously to rescue people trapped inside their homes and cars by the rising waters, assisted by reinforcements brought in from Athens, Corinth and further afield. A team of government ministers acting on the orders of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was also in the area to help coordinate disaster response efforts earlier on Wednesday, while a government meeting chaired by the prime minister has been called for 15:30.

Over 600 calls for help

The Fire Brigade, on call throughout the prefecture, has received over 600 calls for assistance until now from the greater Mandra area.

Of the people that died in the floods that started early this morning, twelve bodies were recovered by the Fire Brigade and two by the Port Authorities.

The calls for assistance were for pumping water out of basements in homes and stores, and for freeing 86 people trapped in homes and cars.

Mandra's fire department is being reinforced by other departments throughout Attica, and neighboring regions. In total, there are 190 fire department staff and 55 vehicles working to assist people, while 70 crews have been put together to manage local emergencies.

Efforts by the fire department will continue during the night.

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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Spyros Gouvas  License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ANA-MPA