A severe storm has hit Crete, killing at least one person and triggering 255 emergency calls to the fire service across ...

A severe storm has hit Crete, killing at least one person and triggering 255 emergency calls to the fire service across the island. The dead man is an 82-year-old shepherd from Karines in the municipality of Agios Vasileios, in Rethymno. According to the deputy regional governor of Rethymno, Maria Lioni, he was found buried under debris near his livestock pen after apparently trying to cross a swollen stream to get back home. The fire service has carried out 17 rescues, moving people to safety, along with 38 water-pumping operations. Emergency response is still ongoing across three regional units, Rethymno, Heraklion, and Lasithi. The Drakouliaris river has burst its banks in the villages of Malades and Foinikia in the Heraklion regional unit. Thirteen people were evacuated from that area alone, with eight pumping operations completed there. Three emergency alerts were sent via 112, warning residents of Minoa Pediadas, Agios Nikolaos, and the Malades-Foinikia area to limit movement. In Rethymno's Mylopotamos and Zoniana areas, three more people were moved to safety and 15 pumping operations carried out. Lasithi saw one rescue and another 15 water-pumping operations around the Minoa Pediadas settlement. Local municipalities are also deploying heavy machinery to clear debris blocking roads in the affected areas. #Crete #Greece #Floods