Six tourists killed as violent storm hits Halkidiki
Photos by Rik Freeman @rickfr01
Six tourists, including two children, have been killed and more than 100 people injured after a violent storm swept across Halkidiki late on Wednesday.
A statement of emergency has been declared after gale-force winds, heavy rain and hailstorms struck the popular tourist area, near the city of Thessaloniki.
Trees were uprooted, cars were overturned and buildings were damaged.
A Czech couple died when their caravan was blown away, a Romanian woman and her child were killed when the roof of a restaurant collapsed at Nea Plagia, and a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree near their hotel in the seaside resort of Potidea.
Athansios Kaltsas, director of the Nea Moudania Medical Centre, where many of the injured were treated, told Greek television: "It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this. It was so abrupt, and so sudden."
The storm came after a few days of extremely hot weather, with temperatures soaring to 37C.
British holidaymakers described panic on beaches and bars being flooded.
Power has been affected in many hotels and some tourists said there has been no running water since the storm hit.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent