Symi in state of emergency after flooding

Civil protection authorities declared a state of emergency on the small southern Aegean island of Symi on Tuesday after it was struck by torrential rain on Monday night that wreaked widespread damage. Crews of firefighters were shipped over from the island’s larger neighbor, Rhodes, to help pump water out of dozens of homes and businesses, while the military also sent soldiers with earth-moving machinery to assist in ongoing efforts to clear thousands of tons of mud and debris from the island’s narrow streets. [Argyris Mantikos/Eurokinissi]