Nikos Oikonomopoulos gave a concert in Heraklion, Crete, where he announced that he would contribute financially to help the flood victims of Thessaly.
The singer briefly interrupted his performance schedule to announce to his audience that his fee from the evening would be offered to the flood victims of Thessaly who were affected by the "Daniel Storm".
"Tonight, I want you to have a great time, to get all your positive energy out. Tonight is dedicated to our country and everything that happened in Thessaly," he said initially.
"At least from my side, my fee will go directly to Thessaly for all these people who are having a tough time with this disaster that happened," he emphasised, and the crowd started to applaud him.
Sixteen people have been declared dead following the flash floods which hit Greece early last week. All of the deaths occurred in the central Thessaly region.
Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey and most recently Libya have all suffered extensive flooding, with Storm Daniel the largest the Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone ever recorded. In Libya around 20,000 are feared dead.
Much of Thessaly was turned into a giant lake including parts of Larissa and Volos, the region’s largest cities. Given the large number of undocumented migrant workers employed as pickers in Thessaly’s agriculture industry, the real death toll is likely much higher.
Flooding level still high on Athens-Thessaloniki national road, Fire Brigade says
In the triangle between Larissa, Karditsa, and Trikala, all basic roads are open, while the Trikala-Larissa road opened in both directions to traffic as of Wednesday afternoon, alternate Fire Brigade spokesperson Yiannis Artopios said on Thursday.
At the briefing at the Coordinating Operations Centre in Larissa on the storm's repercussions, Artopios said that the Athens-Thessaloniki national road remains shut to traffic due to flooding. He expressed the hope the flooding would subside enough so that it reopens soon.
Most areas that were flooded or completely submerged in the Karditsa area, including Palamas, are now accessible by road except for Metamorfossi, Marathea, Korda and Vlochos, which are accessible only by large vehicles.
In Vlochos, in particular, residents have decided to remain in the village and that Fire Brigade and Civil Protection officers checked in with them on Thursday morning.
Keramidi near Trikala has been evacuated and remains inaccessible.
The mountain road network to Aspropotamos at Trikala is destroyed and villages in the region are being supplied with basic needs by helicopter, while efforts are focused on trying to open new access roads from Pyli through forestland.
In the Larissa prefecture, water pumping continues in the villages around the city proper, while the road from Larissa to Tyrnavos has been opened only to buses.
The Fire Brigade, Civil Protection, Armed Forces, and Hellenic Police as well as local government are all on standby in all areas that have become accessible, and the level of the floodwaters being monitored continuously.
Infections recorded in Thessaly within expected ranges, minister says
A total of 37 new cases of pulmonary infections and 36 new cases of gastrointenstinal infections were registered on Thursday at 26 National Health System health centers, Alternate Health Minister Irini Agapidaki said on Thursday.
During the daily briefing, Agapidaki said 1,152 people arrived at the centers in the last 24 hours. Overall since residents of Thessaly have been arriving at the centers after the storm, there have been 130 cases of gastroenteritis and 126 infections of the upper respiratory.
"The number of these cases is not worrisome, because it was expected for the season," she said.
Those requiring hospitalizations are in Magnissia and Karditsa, and none are in danger, nor is there a cluster breakout in any area, the minister said.
The confirmed pathogens, she said, included salmonella, enteropathogenic E. coli, rotavirus, and clostridium.
Agapidaki said tht 25,000 galoshes and protective uniforms would be distributed to citizens to avoid infections from stagnant water in the region, and asked citizens who did not immediately need the material to wait for two days.
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