Eight dead with 'streets turning to rivers' as European holiday hotspots flood

06 September 2023 , 09:22

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A man and a woman carry their belongings through a flooded road in Volos, Greece (Image: HATZIPOLITIS NICOLAOS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

At least eight people have died after severe rainstorms lashed parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria yesterday.

A flash flood at a campsite near the border with Bulgaria carried away bungalow homes, leaving three people dead and searches ongoing for three others. The country's southern Black Sea coast was also inundated, killing two people.

Meanwhile in Istanbul, Turkey, surging flood waters affected more than 1,750 homes and businesses in the city, according to the governor's office. Two people died, including a 32-year-old Guinean citizen who was reportedly trapped inside his ground-floor apartment.

And in Greece, a record rainfall caused at least one death near the central city of Volos and at least five people were reported missing. The fire department said the man was killed when a wall buckled and fell on him.

A rescuer carries a man on his shoulder and walks through a flooded road in Greece (HATZIPOLITIS NICOLAOS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Storm Daniel is causing severe flooding across the region, leading to police banning traffic on Skiathos, as record rainfall brings thigh-high torrents through streets and sweeps cars away. UK-bound flights from the resort island have also been cancelled.

Plane passengers stuck on flight for 13 hours - only to end up where they began

British tourists have taken to social media to ask for help having been left stranded, while Jet2 said all its flights due to depart the island on Tuesday and Wednesday - five in total - have been cancelled. The airline said it was monitoring the forecast and will confirm new departure times as soon as possible.

On Monday, a flight from London Stansted to Skiathos was diverted to the mainland city of Thessaloniki because of the weather, where customers were provided with hotel accommodation until they can be returned to the UK. Holidaymaker Emma Taylor, who was stranded by the weather, told MailOnline: "This is a serious storm.

Residents remove debris from a flooded area in the town of Volos (AP)

"Flooding in our hotel corridors, ceilings, power cuts, and we're lucky as we're up high at the Skiathos Palace, Koukounaries. Some guests have been asked to check out of their rooms." Another holidaymaker said: "Food supplies are running out at the hotel. No more can be supplied because the road by our hotel has collapsed.

"The rain has been heavy for around 36 hours. Our hotel is now homing local families who have lost theirs on the beach." In a statement to affected customers posted on its website, Jet2 said: "We are sorry to inform you that due to the current and forecasted weather affecting the Island of Skiathos, we have delayed your flight.

"The heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are continuing to effect Skiathos, this is part of an adverse weather phenomenon named Storm Daniel. We are monitoring the forecast and will confirm your new departure time as soon as the forecast allows. We understand how frustrating this situation is, but please be assured that our dedicated UK-based Operations Team are working tirelessly to ensure we get you back to the UK, when it is safe to do so.

Cars float on a flooded road in Greece during Storm Daniel (HATZIPOLITIS NICOLAOS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

"We know that this is not the news you would like to hear, however, the safety and well-being of all our customers and crew is paramount. Whilst in destination, please continue to follow the advice of the Local Authority." Elsewhere, authorities sent mobile phone alerts in several other areas of central Greece, the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia warning people to limit their movements outdoors.

Streams overflowed their banks and swept cars into the sea in the Pilion area, while rockfalls blocked roads, a small bridge was carried away and many areas suffered power cuts. Greece's minister for civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said the storms were forecast to ease after noon on Wednesday and urged people in afflicted areas to stay indoors.

The storm comes on the heels of major summer wildfires that hit Greece over the past few weeks, with some burning for more than a fortnight and destroying vast tracts of forest and farmland. More than 20 people were killed in the fires.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blamed both the wildfires and storms on climate change, while conceding that his centre-right government "clearly didn't manage things as well as we would have liked" on the wildfire front. He said earlier this week: "I am afraid that the careless summers, as we knew them ... will cease to exist and from now on the coming summers are likely to be ever more difficult."

Katie Weston