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Heavy rains and the swollen River Arda have flooded houses in the villages of Elia and Komara in the region of Orestiada in Evros. The local news website thrakinea.gr reports that the number of flooded houses is at least 15.

Members of the fire service have taken two elderly women out from their homes, on stretchers, in the village of Elia.

Heavy rains have caused problems and damage in Alexandroupoli as well.

In the village of Avantos the water level has reached one metre, some of the streets in the village of Maistros were inaccessible and the rain in the village of Hili was so heavy that the streets had become streams.

Due to the exceptional weather conditions and the problems they have caused in the region of Komotini, the Greek railways have stopped serving the lines Komotini - Alexandroupoli and Alexandroupoli - Dikea.

At the same time, residents of the area are in a state of readiness as the waters of the River Maritsa are rising. On the recommendation of the Regional Directorate of Civil Protection, the mayors of Didimoticho, Orestiada, Soufli and Alexandroupolis have to warn the public not to approach the riparian regions of Maritsa and Eritropotamos as well as the dikes in them as they have been declared dangerous areas.

Meanwhile, members of the police, fire service, coast guard and residents of the region are taking part in an operation to find a policeman, aged 49, who has been missing since yesterday. The man had gone fishing at the river delta on Wednesday afternoon and nobody has been aware of his whereabouts since. The authorities found his boat this morning, but not him. The operation launched immediately afterwards is continuing, but so far to no avail.

There were floods along the River Galikos in the region of Thessaloniki, but with no serious consequences.