Photos: Titan efforts to prevent the museum ship "Velos" from sinking - Divers document the damage

An operation has been underway since Sunday morning to seal a breach in the stern of the historic Hellenic Navy destroyer "Velos", which sustained damage while docked at Thessaloniki's Nea Paralia waterfront on Saturday due to strong winds blowing in the area.

A tugboat has kept the ship in place since Saturday evening while a diver was sent down to determine the extent of the damage.

The ship has been docked at the same location since September 2019 and operates as a museum.

In addition to the damage to the "Velos", the strong winds ripped off the dome at the Basketball Airdome Skg in Thermi and knocked over the canopy of a fuel station without causing injuries.

Strong winds continued to blow in Thessaloniki on Sunday, felling trees and branches.

The ship was damaged when strong wind gusts and high waves combined to slam the boat's stern onto the base of the promenade. The vessel had been similarly damaged, though not enough to affect its stability and durability, during bad weather in March.

In a statement on Sunday, the main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance sector chief for defence issues, Evangelos Apostolakis, called for an investigation into what placed the ship in danger for a second time and action to ensure the protection of the historic vessel, which is a symbol of the anti-dictatorial struggle and a floating museum, and its return to the Naval Tradition Park where it belongs.

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