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Elderly couple and baby dead as storm hits Greek island

Last Updated Aug 9, 2020 at 3:30 am MDT

ATHENS, Greece — An elderly couple and an 8-month-old baby have been found dead and dozens have been trapped in their homes and cars as a storm hits the island of Evia in central Greece, police said Sunday.

Police say the couple, 86 and 85 years old, were found unconscious in their flooded home Sunday morning, in the seaside village of Politika, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the capital Athens. The baby was found in a ground floor apartment in the same village. The local mayor reportedly said that the baby and its family were not local residents and were on holiday there.

Many residents have climbed to the rooftops of their homes and the fire service has sent a rescue helicopter to the area.

Heavy rain started falling at about midnight Saturday and firefighters responded to over 50 fires caused by lightning. The fire service said it was also called to rescue dozens of people and help many others drain flooded homes.

Many local roads are impassable, police said. The storm is expected to pass early afternoon.

The Associated Press