30 Bulgarians awaiting to be evacuated from Volos, Greece, after the floods

The situation in Greece and Turkey after the floods remains difficult. The rain stopped today, September 8, but dealing with the aftermath is just beginning. A Turkish family was devastated when their 3-month-old baby was found drowned. In Greece, the death toll now stands at 10. At least 30 Bulgarian citizens are waiting to be evacuated from the city of Volos.

The three-day deluge, Storm Daniel, has left Greece under water - from the capital Athens to Thessaly - 300 kilometres to the north. Meteorologists say it is the worst flooding since measurements of precipitation started in the country. The rains have stopped, but the water has not receded yet. In some places, the level has reached 2 metres.

"We have another 24 difficult hours ahead and I want to stress that the priority is the protection of human life. Everyone understands that there are natural phenomena that we cannot control, no matter what flood defences are in place. When an unprecedented amount of rain falls, it causes flooding," said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece.

Thirty Bulgarian citizens remain blocked in Volos. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel said that Bulgaria is ready to assist their return to the country as soon as the roads become passable.

"From the very beginning we have made sure that Bulgarians who are in such a difficult situation have what they need - whether it is food, water, medicine. We are monitoring the situation hourly, and the moment there is a possibility for them to reach from where they are cut off - this is in the competence of the Greek authorities, and we are working closely with them, to reach a place from where they can be transported to Bulgaria, we are ready for that," said Mariya Gabriel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

There are 7 victims of the floods in Greece, the number of missing is unknown. The situation in the towns of Karditsa and Larissa remains the worst. The army, firefighters and volunteers are carrying out rescue operations around the clock by water and air. More than 100 people have been evacuated from the village of Farkadona this night alone. They waited for help on the roofs of the houses.

"People should have been evacuated in the afternoon but they were not. They didn't expect so much water," said Grigoris Mitrakos, head of the firefighting team.

"Nobody expected this last night. I had a premonition this morning and unfortunately it came true. It's quarter to one and everything is submerged in water. The fields, the houses - everything is lost," said Vassilis Katsanos, a resident of Farcadona.

The number of victims of the floods in Turkey has risen to 8 after the body of a three-month-old baby was discovered in Aksaray in the central part of the country. Little Asel had fallen from her mother's lap while the mother was trying to take her to a safe place. For six days, family members and rescuers frantically searched for the baby girl, but to no avail. The clean-up began in Istanbul, which was one of the cities hardest hit by the storm.

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