Search continues for missing Attica flood victims as recovery picks up pace

Fire service EMAK disaster units began the search at first light on Monday for two people reported missing from Wednesday’s floods in western Attica, after the death toll climbed to 20 on Sunday with the discovery of two more bodies.

The two men who are still missing were reported by their families as having given no sign of life since caught driving in the devastating flash floods last week.

On Sunday, rescue crews recovered two bodies from a storage hangar in Mandra, the western town that was most severely hit by flooding. Inundated by debris and mud, the hanger will be demolished on Monday as part of the ongoing search.

Meanwhile, efforts to clean thousands of tons of mud and debris from the streets, homes and businesses of Mandra and Nea Peramos, a neighboring town that also suffered extensive damage, picked up pace on Monday as the weather cleared after a week of strong rains. Fully restoring the power supply in Mandra was also a priority.

Experts from the Infrastructure Minister have so far inspected 1,154 buildings in the vicinity and deemed that 955 home and business owners are eligible for compensation.

Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said that 1,000 euros per square meters of damaged property will be allotted to people whose homes were destroyed, 500 euros per square meters to business owners and 300 euros to owners of storage facilities.

Speaking to the media on Monday morning, he said that for repairs to up to 150 square meters, 60 percent of the compensation will be covered by the state and the remaining 40 percent will be in the form of an interest-free loan.

Funds will also be available to provide accommodation to families made homeless by the floods, as well as to help them set up their households again once their properties are repaired.

The government spokesman also announced additional emergency assistance that will be distributed imminently.

“Specifically, all households that according to the Infrastructure Ministry’s technical teams in the areas of West Attica have sustained damage, will receive emergency funding of 5,000 euros, while businesses in a similar situation will receive 8,000 euros,” he said.