FLASH floods in the western outskirts of Athens have turned roads into raging torrents of mud and debris, killing a number of people and knocking out a section of a motorway – trapping cars, trucks and buses.
The coastguard said it recovered two bodies from the sea near the area of flooding.
Authorities said they believed the two men, one aged in his mid-50s and the other around 80, had been swept into the sea by the flash flood. If confirmed, it would put the death toll at seven.
The fire department said it is searching for at least a further three people who were reported missing by their families. The flooding came after severe weather overnight, with a storm bringing driving rain to the area.
Several walls from gardens and low buildings collapsed, filling roads with rubble.
Judicial authorities ordered an immediate investigation into the deaths and material damage caused by the flooding.
Investigators would be looking into whether factors such as shoddy or illegal construction might have contributed to the severity of the flooding.
Several people were transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
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