Greek flooding victims recall moments of disaster, as toll rises to 16

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited flood-stricken Mandra on Thursday, the area worst hit by Wednesday's flash flooding, 20 kilometers west of Athens, and pledged immediate state aid to people affected, as the death toll rose to 16, according to the latest official count.

Another four people were still missing after the destructive intense torrential rainfall and a rescue operation would continue for a second night, according to the Fire Service.

"We had the chance to see the extent of the destruction with our own eyes. We are all shocked by what we witnessed...We promise to promptly proceed to rebuilding and healing of wounds," he said after touring the area, escorted by ministers and other officials.

The strong downpour turned roads into muddy rivers carrying away cars, knocking down walls and electricity posts.

On Thursday, while a milder storm was hitting the area, residents were trying to clean up their homes and businesses, as crews with experts were assessing damages.

"The water rushed into the house up to one meter high. If you go inside you will see the level. Look. Everything got ruined. Beds, furniture, carpets... Look! Everything is destroyed, entirely destroyed. There was a cement wall around the yard. It collapsed," Dimitris Liaskos told Xinhua, showing around his house.

"Tell me if in the current times we can rebuild this house?" he asked referring to the economic hardships the average Greek household suffers in recent years due to the seven-year debt crisis.

The financial destruction by the flash flooding exacerbates the constant anxiety to manage to make ends meet every month.

"My mother was inside and we rescued her at the last moment. We managed to grab her grandchildren in our arms ... Everything happened within ten minutes. There was no time for reaction," he recalled.

The flash flooding struck in the early hours of Wednesday when most people were still in bed. Many victims were elderly people living in basements and motorists.

"We are lucky it did not happen at 08:00 a.m when children are going to school," Nikos Pantazis, another Mandra resident, told Xinhua.

"All people have suffered great losses...People are telling me you are alive! Am I? I feel dead. I have been left with nothing. No motorcycle, no house, no car, nothing," he said.

Even if the houses will be rebuild soon and life will somehow return to normal, locals are worried that it may happen again. They ask authorities to take measures to address urban planning violations which according to experts have paved the ground of a greater destruction by an extreme weather phenomenon.

"It has happened 3-4 times (in the past 20 years), but this thing was so destructive, not only for me, but all the people. The older people are telling me that something similar has not happened in the past 100 years," Panagiotis A. told Xinhua.

"Many factors contributed to Wednesday's tragedy, from the intense rainfall linked to climate change to the special characteristics of the landscape in the area and the illegal construction of buildings in recent decades over streams. I am afraid we will continue to see similar destruction in the future," Professor of Dynamic Tectonic Applied Geology and Natural Disaster Management of the Athens University Efthimios Lekkas told Xinhua.

The university recorded the extent of the damage in western Attica with great accuracy from the air using modern instruments, such as specially-equipped drones.

The data will enable the state to draft a comprehensive report to compensate those affected, as soon as possible.

In a televised message on Wednesday evening, the Greek prime minister had declared national mourning, while the area was declared in state of emergency.

"It is a very difficult time for all of Greece. We are experiencing a great disaster...I want to express my deep sorrow, sincere condolences to the families of the victims. And I promise that we will stand by them with all the means in our disposal," he added.