KKE: Bad weather shattered the narrative about the mechanism's readiness

“Today's severe weather, which did not come without warning and has already resulted in the tragic loss of a human life and missing persons, has shattered the «narrative» of preparedness of the state mechanism of Civil Protection, the Region, and the Municipalities. The prefecture of Heraklion has proven to be defenceless against natural phenomena and is sounding the alarm for the coming winter,« said the Heraklion Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Greece in a statement.

The entire announcement:

Today's severe weather, which did not come without warning and has already resulted in the tragic loss of a human life and missing persons, has shattered the «narrative» of preparedness of the state mechanism of Civil Protection, the Region, and the Municipalities. The prefecture of Heraklion has proven to be defenceless against natural phenomena and is sounding the alarm for the coming winter. Everywhere, in Lygaria, Agia Pelagia, Gazi, Heraklion, and Alikarnassos, there are flooded streets, houses, shops, streams full of rubbish and reeds, people unprotected in «lakes» and traffic chaos.

From the outset, the KKE intervened by telephone with the Deputy Regional Governor of Heraklion and the mayors of Malevizi and Heraklion through the party's MP Manolis Syntachakis, the head of the Popular Rally of Crete Alekos Marinakis, Michalis Houstoulakis, and Dimitris Vryssalis, elected municipal councilors with the Popular Rally of Malevizi and Heraklion, respectively.

The elected communists demanded that the state apparatus, the local authorities, take all necessary measures, even now, to prevent further casualties, and that there be the necessary coordination with ministries, municipalities, regions, and the fire department to rescue residents and provide care and transport for any others who have been injured to public health facilities. In addition, it is necessary to utilize all means of the state apparatus for the rapid restoration of the road network and other infrastructure. The immediate restoration of problems and full compensation for those affected must be ensured. Immediately and wherever severe weather conditions continue, all non-essential activities should be suspended, without any burden on employees.

The Heraklion Sectoral Committee calls on Party members and friends to be vigilant and to express solidarity with anyone who is currently in need in any way they can.