Central Greece residents airlifted after deadly floods

The flooded village of Farkadona near the city of Karditsa, central Greece. Pic/AP

Severe rainstorms eased but floodwaters were still rising in parts of central Greece on Friday, while fire department and military helicopters were plucking people from villages inundated by tonnes of water and mud that have left six dead, six missing and many people clinging to the roofs of their homes.

Evacuation orders were issued for two areas north of the city of Larissa Friday morning, with authorities sending alerts to cell phones in the area warning that the Pineios River had burst its banks. Parts of Larissa, one of Greece's largest cities, were already starting to flood.

Elsewhere, residents of villages left without electricity or drinking water dialed in to Greek television and radio stations, appealing for help and saying people were still trapped on rooftops without food or water. Between Tuesday and early Friday, the fire department said more than 1,800 people had been rescued and the department had received more than 6,000 calls for help in pumping water from flooded homes and removing fallen trees.

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