PM Mitsotakis: Restoring water supply in Volos, evacuating people in Pilio are top priorities in region

Restoring water supply to Volos is the main priority, while for nearby Mt. Pilio villages rescuing people stranded by the storm is the priority, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday in Volos, central Greece.

Following a meeting in Larissa on the same day, Mitsotakis met with local authorities about the destructive floods following the ‘Daniel’ storm that filled Volos with water and mud and interrupted power and water supplies.

The water supply of the city will begin to return to normal as of Saturday, the PM said, while the Athens Water and Sewage company (EYDAP) – which he noted no longer belongs to the Superfund but to the state – will be helping out by request in the central Greek city. In addition, state support will be activated very fast to allow families to replace their home furnishings.

In terms of Mt. Pilio villages, some of which saw collapse of bridges and roads, Mitsotakis said the government would first address damage on the road network with high-speed works overseen by the Region of Thessaly, aiming to restore traffic in the next few weeks. Mid-term, the government will intervene to turn temporary projects into permanent ones, and the road network to a better and more resilient one than it was before.

Speaking after a meeting in the city hall that included ministers and local officials, Volos Mayor Achilleas Beos said that residents would see an 80% return of the water supply in the city proper and nearby Nea Ionia, while water supply would be fully (100%) restored in 15-20 days.

The mayor called for patience by the residents – who have been supplied with water brought in by trucks and donated by ship – and expressed the optimism the restoration of the city’s operation will move ahead quickly with the support of the government following the PM’s visit to the city.