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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-09-10
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] RESCUE TEAMS CONTINUE LOOKING FOR SURVIVORS
[02] RELIEF EFFORTS INTENSIFIED
[03] OPPOSITION LEADER CALLS FOR EU FUNDS
[04] PRIME MINISTER BRIEFS POLITICAL LEADERS
[05] MESSAGES OF SOLIDARITY FROM ABROAD
[06] TWO STRONG EARTH TREMORS IN THE DARDANELLES
[07] ARCHBISHOP OF AMERICA MEETS WITH GREEK LEADERS
[08] TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER ADOPTS INTRANSIGENT STAND
[01] RESCUE TEAMS CONTINUE LOOKING FOR SURVIVORS
Greek and foreign rescue teams continue working round the clock, often
in heavy rain, to pull out survivors from the ruins of buildings which
collapsed in Tuesday's earthquake in Athens measuring 5.9 on the
Richter scale. In Attica, which has been declared in a state of
emergency, 95 people have lost their lives so far, at least 40 are
missing, hundreds were injured and thousands left homeless.
[02] RELIEF EFFORTS INTENSIFIED
At the same time, the government is intensifying efforts to cover the
immediate needs of the earthquake-stricken population in the prefecture
of Attica. Following a cabinet meeting at the Maximos mansion
yesterday, chaired by the prime minister, Kostas Simitis, the press
general secretary, Nikos Athanasakis, said that in tandem with efforts
for the rescue of people trapped under the rubble and relief aid to the
earthquake-stricken population, the inspection of buildings in the
earthquake-hit areas would continue to assess damage. Out of 4,847
buildings checked in the earthquake-hit areas by the authorities, 672
were condemned, 2,217 are in need of repairs, while 1,958 were
described as safe. Interior minister Vaso Papandreou has said the
authorities are focusing efforts on setting up well-organized camps
with the necessary infrastructure to guarantee a satisfactory standard
of living for the homeless. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas has
said the government is doing its best for the relief of the
earthquake-stricken population. About 9,000 tents have been sent so far
to the municipalities of Menidi and Ano Liosia, while 4,000 more tents
will be erected today. Several businessman have offered important sums
to cover the damage in quake-hit regions. Payment of an emergency sum
of 200,000 drachmas to the homeless will start today. Furthermore
Olympic Airways has offered free tickets to the homeless and their
families.
[03] OPPOSITION LEADER CALLS FOR EU FUNDS
Opposition New Democracy party leader Kostas Karamanlis has sent a
letter to European Commission president Romano Prodi calling for the
disbursement of non-absorbed funds from the second Delors package to
cover the damage caused by the quake. A concert by singer Vassilis
Lekkas, organised by Greek Radio and the municipality of Aghia
Paraskevi, is scheduled to take place this evening and the proceeds
will be made available to the earthquake-stricken inhabitants of
Attica. The US is to send relief aid to Greece today.
[04] PRIME MINISTER BRIEFS POLITICAL LEADERS
Prime minister Simitis has cancelled a scheduled visit to China and is
to have contacts with political party leaders starting tomorrow to
brief them on the problems caused by the quake. Meanwhile a team of
prosecutors has opened an investigation into possible charges of
negligence and violation of building regulations in relation with the
buildings which collapsed during the quake. The ministry for the
environment, planning and public works has called on prefectures to
hand over all relevant files for use by the prosecutors.
[05] MESSAGES OF SOLIDARITY FROM ABROAD
Messages of solidarity with the quake-stricken population of Attica
have been sent to prime minister Simitis by several heads of state and
government, foreign ministers, religious leaders and international
figures, amongst them Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem and the president
of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch.
[06] TWO STRONG EARTH TREMORS IN THE DARDANELLES
Two strong earth tremors, measuring 4.8 and 5.2 on the Richter scale,
were registered shortly before noon yesterday. Their epicentre was
located 325 km north east of Athens, in the sea region between the
islands of Imvros and Samothrace. The quakes were felt in Limnos,
Samothrace, Alexandroupolis, Thasos, western Turkey, and more strongly
in the Dardanelles, Imvros and Tenedos. The tremors are reportedly
associated with the major earthquake which struck north-western Turkey
last month, on the Anatolia fault-line. Several aftershocks were also
registered.
[07] ARCHBISHOP OF AMERICA MEETS WITH GREEK LEADERS
Newly-elected Archbishop Dimitrios of America met in Athens yesterday
with prime minister Kostas Simitis, in the framework of his contacts
with Greek political leaders. The Archbishop has already met with
president Kostis Stefanopoulos, political party leaders and several
ministers. His investiture will take place in New York on 18
September.
[08] TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER ADOPTS INTRANSIGENT STAND
During a meeting in New York with UN secretary general Kofi Annan,
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash did not abandon his intransigent
stand and called for any talks to be conducted only between states.
Cypriot government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou has said Cyprus has
not been consulted by foreign governments on its views concerning a
Cyprus solution based on a confederation. In the meantime, the
occupation regime in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus has proceeded
with the arrest of Greek Cypriots enclaved in the Turkish-occupied
territories, in a bid to reinforce the climate of fear and
intimidation, prevailing mainly in occupied Karpasia.
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