Greek climber rescued as authorities support homeless amid cold snap
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E-mail Xinhua, January 8, 2013
A Greek climber trapped on a mountain for hours was rescued and authorities throughout Greece were mobilized to support the thousands homeless on Monday, as the country is hit by a cold snap which is forecast to last to Thursday.
As a major part of Greece is gripped by heavy rain, snowfall and strong winds, an experienced 54-year old climber went missing on Sunday evening on a northern mountainous area, when he lost track of his teammates.
A rescue operation ended successfully on Monday noon, and he was found safe and transferred for first aid to a local hospital.
Local authorities across the country in the meantime prepared to offer assistance to homeless people, setting up emergency shelters at public stadiums and other buildings to avoid deaths in freezing conditions.
Last year, several homeless died from hypothermia during similar cold snaps, as the number of homeless in Greece has increased to more than 20,000 persons since the start of the debt crisis in late 2009, with about half of them living out on the streets of central Athens.
Meteorologists forecast that temperatures will drop to sub-zero in coming hours in several parts of the country, in particular in the north and mountainous zones, with the maximum hitting 13 Celsius, while snowfall is expected also in the suburbs of the Greek capital.
Experts at the Greek National Meteorological Agency forecast that the cold snap will continue until Thursday.
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