Heavy rain in Athens causes floods, power cuts, road closures and a death

Torrential rainfall has caused extensive flooding in Greece’s capital, swamping basements and forcing authorities to close major…

Torrential rainfall has caused extensive flooding in Greece’s capital, swamping basements and forcing authorities to close major roads and a central subway station in Athens.

A young woman who had been trapped in her car on a flooded suburban road died shortly after being pulled out by motorists and taken to hospital, police said. The cause of death was not immediately clear.

The fire department said it received more than 900 calls to pump out water in the Athens region as up to 60mm (2.3in) of rain fell in a few hours.

An abandoned house collapsed in the city centre, but no injuries were reported.

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Police closed underpasses and highways in low-lying parts of the city after they were submerged, while cars were swept away by racing waters.

The capital’s tram system was shut down for more than an hour, while urban rail schedules were disrupted after a tree fell on the tracks. The rain also caused power cuts.

In parliament, a worker clearing water from the roof of the assembly hall tripped and went through a glass skylight, but was pulled to safety.“The worker could have landed on our heads,” sports minister Yiannis Ioannidis said.– (AP)