ATHENS — Flash floods in Greece have killed at least 15 people in the western outskirts of Athens, state television said Wednesday, trapping dozens in their homes or cars and inundating hundreds of residences, businesses, and boats.
Several people were reported missing after several hours of torrential rain fell Tuesday night, although it was unclear whether they had fallen victim to the floods or had sought refuge elsewhere. More rain was forecast for the next few days.
The fire service said it had received hundreds of calls from Greeks whose homes were submerged. As highways turned to rivers, the emergency services rescued people who had been trapped in their cars and stranded on buses.
On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras declared a day of national mourning.
“This is a very difficult time for Greece,’’ he said in a statement. “All the necessary measures are being taken to tackle the extreme weather conditions across the country.’’
Military facilities and other public venues will be made available to those left homeless by the floods, he added.
According to Greek media, at least 11 people had been killed in or around Mandra, a suburb west of Athens, and most of the 13 reported injured were suffering from hypothermia. Among the dead were people found inside or in the yards of their inundated homes.
The country’s General Secretariat for Civil Protection called the floods “unprecedented’’ in the area, while Yianna Kriekouki, mayor of Mandra, referred to the floods as a “biblical disaster’’ in comments on state television, made by telephone while trapped in her home.
Tsipras dispatched three ministers to the areas most affected by the flooding, and convened an emergency meeting Tuesday evening.
While severe storms prompted the flooding, analysts said the devastation may have been exacerbated by the illegal construction of homes on the fringes of Athens.
The two towns hit hardest by the floods — Mandra and Nea Peramos — are known to have shoddy infrastructure. In September, the regional authorities allocated European Union funds to build a new irrigation network for Mandra, though the construction had not begun.
On Tuesday, authorities in the Aegean island of Symi, known for its colorful neoclassical houses and picturesque harbor, declared a state of emergency after rainstorms pummeled the area.
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