Τhe office of the Public Prosecutor in Athens investigates the multi-day power outages in several areas of Attica in the midst of a snow weather, low temperatures and frost. Investigation is to determine whether the offense of disturbing the operation of an utility has been committed.
The order for the preliminary investigation ον Τhursday was given due to continuous reports on households suffering without electricity and heating since Monday as well as dozens of phone calls to Athens First Instance Court by citizens in outrage.
According to media, citizens complained that they remain without power and heating for over three consecutive days and thus in “polar” temperatures without being able to meet their basic needs and to cope with the adverse weather conditions.
A woman from Holargos in north Athens was telling cnngreece on Thursday that her home is without power since Monday evening. Reason is a broken tree that has damaged the power supply of a pole nearby. The woman slipped on the snow on Monday while she was going to work, she suffered multi fractures her arm, doctors advised her to be in a “warm environment.”
The 42-year-old woman said that municipality teams cut the tree on Wednesday evening but no teams to restore the power have come so far, that is Thursday noon.
Without electricity, heating and warm water the woman struggles to survive around 15 minutes driver from downtown Athens. “I realized the floor was warmer so I have been sleeping there,” she said adding that neighbors cooked for her and her brother.
Earlier on Thursday, government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou left open the possibility of compensating the households that had power outages over several hours or days. Oikonomou said that specific announcements are expected in the following days.
Environment and Energy Minister Costas Skrekas said also that there is possibility to compensate electric appliances that were damaged by the power outage.
Based on KTG’s and other people’s own experience compensation for damaged electric appliance has chances when several power subscribers on one street declare damages. As for the outage compensations it would be a few euros or up to ten for the days citizens froze in the dark.
According to state broadcaster ERT, over 1,000 households are without electricity still Thursday afternoon, with the more affected areas to be in suburbs like Vrilissia and Agia Paraskevi in Athens North, in Alimos and Voula in Athens south as well as in settlements in eastern Attica.
Based on some posts on social media, prosecutors investigations on power outages in February 2021 due to snow weather Medea did not bring any satisfying results for those who struggled for a week .
