The severe storm affecting the region of Evros, ended tragically with the death of a firefighter during an operation to rescue students at the Apalou Preschool, of the municipality Alexandroupolis.
According to reports, the schoolyard was flooded by rainwater, trapping 21 students and their teachers inside the building. Firefighters, who were called to the scene, rushed to the location.
According to initial reports, the 46-year-old driver of the fire truck was unable to exit the vehicle, resulting in him being swept away by the raging waters that had turned the area into a torrent. The body of the unfortunate man was found several meters away, near the airport.
The entire fire department is in shock, all while the rain continues to fall heavily throughout the Evros region.
As noted by the local media, it is the second time Within a few days, this preschool floods, putting the lives of young children at risk.
According to what the mayor of Alexandroupolis told ThessToday, Yiannis Zamboukis, the area's streams have overflowed, and the volume of water is substantial.
The fire department's statement regarding the firefighter's death:
«Today, in the early afternoon, Fire Truck No. 3538 of the Alexandroupoli Fire Department was on patrol in the greater Alexandroupoli area to provide assistance. Senior Firefighter Ioannis Zafeiropoulos, 46, was swept away by a torrent of water inside a concrete culvert while he was outside the vehicle. After being located, he was transported by an EKAB ambulance to Alexandroupoli General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
»A preliminary investigation and a sworn administrative inquiry will be conducted into the circumstances and causes that led to the death of the firefighter.".
