On the morning of October 30th an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale, rocked the eastern Mediterranean and had a devastating effect on the Greek island of Samos.
The earthquake left some 300 buildings temporarily uninhabitable or unsafe and also caused a tsunami that flooded the harbour area, and tragically killed two teenagers.
Immediately after the disaster, there was a wave of solidarity and support from people, neighbouring countries and international organisations.
In this spirit, the Australian Embassy in Greece together with the Municipality of Western Samos, collected cleaning products that were sent to support the earthquake-affected residents.
“With this contribution, the Australian Embassy wishes to assist the Municipality's continued efforts to provide shelter to the people left homeless by the devastating earthquake that hit the island in late October,” the embassy stated.
In response, the Municipality of Western Samos thanked the Australian Embassy: “We warmly thank the Ambassador of Australia in Athens, Athanasios Spyrou, and the staff of the Australian Embassy, who took the initiative to stand by us and offer cleaning and disinfection items. Your contribution makes us very happy and fills us with courage and strength in our difficult work.”
Around 450 people remain homeless, points out George Kyriazis, president of the Samos Chamber.
“Some are still living in tents,” he said.
“Around 260 people stay in hotels, while others have settled with relatives and friends,” the mayor of Eastern Samos, George Stantzos, told Sputnik Hellas.
At the same time, more than 1,300 homes have been deemed unsuitable.
“The inspections are continuing and the number of unsuitable houses is expected to increase. We need more specialized technical staff to record the damage,” added the mayor.