A driver became a victim of the severe weather, found dead in the Hephaestus area of Komotini. The man had gone missing after reportedly attempting to cross an Irish bridge in the area when he was swept away by the waters of the Vozvozi River. An Irish bridge is a makeshift structure built primarily with cement or asphalt to facilitate the transportation of cars and trucks during extreme weather conditions. They are constructed in areas without proper bridges. However, they are always built hastily and are not suitable when river or torrent waters overflow them. Indeed, access to this particular crossing, like all others in the area, had been prohibited, as the Greek Police reported they had been preemptively closed. The driver attempted to cross and was swept away by the rushing waters.
The Fire Service launched a search operation with 13 members, while the Komotini Emergency Response Unit (EMAK) also responded. The driver was located shortly before 8:00 PM on Thursday, February 5, and initially his health condition was unknown. Later, it became known that he had died. It is believed that a torrent from the Vozvozi River proved fatal for the man, who reportedly crossed the bridge despite the prohibition. Indeed, it was a local resident from the Hephaestus area who spotted the car and reported the incident on the morning of the same day.
Video from Voice of Rhodope and xronos.gr
Severe weather: Statement from Rhodope deputy regional governor
The deputy regional governor of Rhodope, Manolis Tapatzas, issued a statement before the tragic news of the driver’s death. He spoke about a second incident within a short period of time. Specifically, he emphasized: “What is happening is beyond human comprehension. This is the second incident within a short timeframe. A driver is missing after being swept away at the Irish bridge in Hephaestus. Unfortunately, our fellow citizen attempted to cross this particular bridge with his car. Access to which had been prohibited by the Greek Police since early afternoon. At this moment, units from the 4th EMAK, Fire Service personnel, the Greek Police, Red Cross rescuers are assisting in the search for our unfortunate fellow citizen, and divers from the 2nd EMAK are expected from Thessaloniki.”
