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Greece Mourns After Deluge Kills 15, Causes Carnage (PHOTO, VIDEO)

© REUTERS / Alkis KonstantinidisA destroyed car is seen next to a flooded street following heavy rainfall in the town of Mandra, Greece, November 15, 2017
A destroyed car is seen next to a flooded street following heavy rainfall in the town of Mandra, Greece, November 15, 2017 - Sputnik International
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Greek authorities have declared a day of national mourning after heavy rainfall triggered floods near Athens.

Floods in Greece have killed at least 15 people and caused utter ruin, with the industrial towns of Mandar, Nea Peramos and Megara, in the foothills of a mountain west of Athens, being the most affected.

Locals said the devastation was unprecedented in scale. Residents said they were woken on Wednesday morning to their homes being filled by rainwater and awash with mud.

According to the BBC, many of the victims were elderly people whose bodies were found inside their homes.

© REUTERS / Alkis KonstantinidisLocals walk next to destroyed cars following heavy rainfall in the town of Mandra, Greece, November 15, 2017
Locals walk next to destroyed cars following heavy rainfall in the town of Mandra, Greece, November 15, 2017 - Sputnik International
Locals walk next to destroyed cars following heavy rainfall in the town of Mandra, Greece, November 15, 2017

"Everything is lost. The disaster is biblical," Mandra Mayor Yianna Krikouki told state broadcaster ERT.

© REUTERS / Alkis KonstantinidisA local walks next to a flooded street following a heavy rainfall in the town of Mandra, Greece, November 15, 2017
A local walks next to a flooded street following a heavy rainfall in the town of Mandra, Greece, November 15, 2017 - Sputnik International
A local walks next to a flooded street following a heavy rainfall in the town of Mandra, Greece, November 15, 2017

According to the broadcaster, at least 37 people have been hospitalized and some are still missing. There are fears that the death toll could climb even higher as emergency crews continue searching flooded homes and streets on the western outskirts of Athens.

"This is a very difficult moment for our country. We mourn the deaths of 14 people in what is a great disaster…. It is the wish of all of us that this number does not increase," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in a televised address, announcing a national day of mourning Thursday.

​Greece has been hit by heavy rains for about a week. A new severe weather warning has been issued for Greece on Thursday.

Earlier, authorities had declared a state of emergency on Symi Island in the Aegean Sea due to torrential rains that wreaked havoc on local infrastructure.

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