- Title: Greece: Hopes Fade For Employees Trapped By Recent Earthquake
- Date: 10th September 1999
- Summary: Hopes were fading for employees trapped in the Ricomex detergent factory in Metamorphosi as another body was pulled from the rubble, where it is believed some 20 people were still missing. Rescue workers were concentrating on the offices where it is believed employees were holding a meeting when the earthquake struck. Huge cranes were brought in to speed up the process, hoisting away large slabs of wall and heavy sacks full of rubble. Thousands of homeless Athenians took shelter in sprawling tent cities after the earthquake, which measured 5. 9 on the Richter scale and hit 18km (11 miles) north of Athens. It struck mostly the northern suburbs of Athens, flattening some buildings, damaging thousands more beyond habitation and leaving more than 16,000 people homeless. Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos thanked the Turkish rescue team for their help in rescuing survivors, saying that the earthquakes in both countries had brought them closer. He handed them medals as they visited him in the presidential palace wearing their rescue uniforms. One Turkish rescuer said they would always be available to help Greece when in need and gave the president a hard hat. The Turks were returning the help Greece gave to its age-old rival after it was hit by a powerful tremor last month, which killed at least 15,000 people.
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- Location: GREECE METAMORPHOSI RICOMEX FACTORY
- Reuters ID: LDL0012BLIJIR
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
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- Copyright Holder: Reuters Archive
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