STORM AND HEAVY RAIN HIT CRETE

ATHENS, OCTOBER 3 /SRNA/ - Severe storms have hit the Greek island of Crete, causing flooding and damage, and authorities have rescued dozens of people from vehicles and homes.

The hardest-hit areas are the regional units of Heraklion, Chania and Rethymno, where heavy rainfall caused rivers and streams to overflow, Kathimerini reported.

Eight workers remain trapped in the Samaria Gorge in western Crete, one of the island’s most popular tourist attractions, after floodwaters blocked the roads.

Six employees of the Greek Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency and two forest rangers entered the gorge on September 29 for work but couldn't leave as conditions deteriorated. They are stranded about seven kilometres from the entrance, along the 13-kilometre-long gorge.

Authorities instructed them to remain in a safe location because the conditions made a safe evacuation impossible.

One of the stranded workers told Greek public broadcaster ERT that they had enough food and other supplies until Wednesday, October 7, and that they were in contact with the authorities.

He added that the only safe way for them to leave was for the floodwaters to recede and the rain to stop.

Authorities today issued a warning to residents of the wider Mylopotamos area in Rethymno, a municipality in western Crete, urging them to limit travel and move to higher ground due to continued heavy rainfall, flooding and large amounts of debris on the roads.

The situation remained particularly serious in the village of Zoniana, where a local river overflowed and homes near its banks were evacuated. Authorities also ordered the evacuation of the settlement of Dafnedes.

In southeastern Crete, firefighters rescued 23 people from vehicles and homes in the areas of Ferma and Makry Gialos near Ierapetra. Firefighters also received dozens of calls to pump water out of flooded homes and businesses.

The road linking Ierapetra with Sitia, a town on the eastern coast of Crete, was severely damaged, while three sections east of Ferma have been closed to traffic. In one case, part of the road was washed into the sea.

Data from the meteorological service of the National Observatory of Athens showed that 318 millimetres of rain fell in Xyloskalo, in the Chania regional unit.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue through this afternoon, with conditions forecast to improve intermittently until tomorrow morning. Authorities remain on heightened alert across Crete, with additional emergency response personnel deployed.