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Gallery|Floods

Deadly flash flooding batters Greek island of Crete

A man died two people are missing in flash floods which hit the north coast of Crete, Greece’s biggest island.

Greece flood
Firefighters and residents stand near damaged cars and debris that were dragged by floods at Aghia Pelagia, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 15 October 2022. A 50-year-old man was found dead at Aghia Pelagia, where heavy rainfall has caused extensive floods. Heraklion Region Vice-Governor Nikos Sirigonakis said the man's body was located by divers near his car, which was carried off by torrential waters. Meanwhile, rescue services at Heraklion were trying to tackle the flooding that has carried off at least another 9 cars in the nearby coastal areas of Aghia Pelasgia and Ligaria, where roads have reportedly turned to rivers. A woman was rescued from the inside of her flooded car by the Fire Brigade, but the car ended up in the sea. [Nikos Chalkiadakis/EPA-EFE]
Published On 16 Oct 202216 Oct 2022
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A man was found dead and two people were missing on Saturday after torrential rain brought major flooding to the Greek island of Crete, emergency workers said.

The victim, a man in his fifties, was trapped in his car as the rains began to fall on the southern Greek island, a popular holiday destination.

Local media reported extensive damage in seaside villages, where streets have become rivers carrying away everything in their path.

At least nine vehicles surrounded by water still need to be rescued. The emergency services received over 450 calls within an hour on Friday morning as the extent of the problem became clear.

Eight tourists and a security guard were also stranded at the Archaeological Museum in the coastal resort town of Sitia.

Scientists say human-induced climate change is amplifying extreme weather, including the floods, heatwaves and droughts seen in several parts of the planet, and say these events will become more frequent and more intense.

A senior official for the Heraklion region, Nikos Syrigonakis, urged residents to limit their movements.

“This is a difficult day,” he added.

Greece flood
A woman walks next to debris, following flash floods in the village of Agia Pelagia, on the island of Crete, Greece on Saturday. [Stefanos Rapanis/Reuters]
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Greece flood
Rescuers stand on damaged submerged cars, following flash floods in the village of Agia Pelagia, on the island of Crete. [Stefanos Rapanis/Reuters]
Greece flood
The Civil Defence department said it was mobilised and asked all citizens to be vigilant in Crete and the surrounding islands of Rhodes, Karpathos, Kastellorizo and Kasos. [Stefanos Rapanis/Reuters]
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Cars are partially submerged near a beach following flash floods in Sitia. The city's mayor told the Skai TV channel: "The situation was out of control and the [weather] phenomena in the region were exceptional." [Courtesy of Efi Tzavolaki/Instagram via Reuters]
Greece flood
Cars were abandoned by the sea following heavy thunderstorms in the village of Paliokastro. It has been reported that at least one person has died with others missing due to the severe flooding. [Harry Nakos/AP Photo]
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A man crosses a flooded street following heavy thunderstorms in the village of Agia Pelagia. [Harry Nakos/AP Photo]
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Greece flood
All the gorges on the island, popular hiking spots for tourists, were closed to the public until further notice. [Reuters]


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