Greece: 2 still missing in deadly floods that killed 20

Specialized disaster response crews were combing the area west of Athens Monday for two men missing from last week's flash floods that killed at least 20 people, while the government announced relief measures for those whose homes or businesses were damaged.

Two women try to clean graves from mud at the damaged cemetery of Mandra town, west of Athens, on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017. Greek authorities say three more people have been found dead from a flash flood that hit a district west of Athens, raising the overall death toll to 19. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

The search operation was concentrating on the Mandra area west of the Greek capital, the hardest hit by Wednesday's disaster, which was among the worst to have hit the wider Athens area in decades.

The flash floods turned roads into raging torrents of mud and debris that flung cars against buildings, inundated homes and businesses and cut a section of a major highway. Those who died drowned in their homes or were swept away by the floodwater.

Clothes are covered with mud inside a house at Mandra town, west of Athens, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017. Greek authorities say three more people have been found dead from a flash flood that hit a district west of Athens, raising the overall death toll to 19. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Nearly 1,000 buildings were damaged, most of them private houses, as well as businesses, storage areas and public buildings.

Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos announced emergency aid for those affected, including a tax-free benefit of 5,000 euros per damaged household and 8,000 euros per damaged business.

A man stands between debris as two women try to clean a shop from mud at Mandra town, west of Athens, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017. Greek authorities say three more people have been found dead from a flash flood that hit a district west of Athens this week raising the overall death toll to 19. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

A resident stands at the entrance of his shop as a bulldozer collects debris at Mandra town, west of Athens, on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017. Greek authorities say three more people have been found dead from a flash flood that hit a district west of Athens, raising the overall death toll to 19. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Workers work to remove a car from the entrance of a house in the town of Mandra, western Athens, on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. A major flash flood on Wednesday left at least 16 people dead, turned streets into torrents of mud and debris that swept away cars, collapsed walls and submerged parts of a major highway. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A far-right Greek lawmaker has been charged with criminal assault for allegedly punching a colleague on the sidelines of a parliamentary debate Wednesday.

“We can indict the perpetrator of this vile and barbaric attack, to charge him with a felony under a fast-track procedure,” Parliament Speaker Constantine Tassoulas said, adding that parliamentary immunity applies to misdemeanors but not felonies.

The lawmaker, Constantinos Floros is an independent member of parliament who was elected with the small Spartans party in June 2023 but later left it.

The alleged assault victim was a lawmaker from the small nationalist Hellenic Solution party. State-run ERT television said he required hospital treatment for a broken nose.

The incident occurred during a debate on whether to lift the immunity from prosecution of the Hellenic Solution party leader following a complaint by a relative of Floros.

A prosecutor charged Floros with assaulting a politician. If convicted, he faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence. He remained in police detention and is due to appear before a magistrate Thursday.

Floros was suspended for 15 days over the incident, which was unprecedented in modern Greek parliamentary history. All political parties condemned the alleged assault.

Separately on Wednesday, Greece’s Supreme Court excluded the Spartans from a list of political parties that fulfill the requirements to field candidates in the European Parliament election in June.

The decision followed a petition by three political parties to bar the Spartans for alleged ties to the extreme-right Golden Dawn party, whose leading members were jailed in 2020 after being convicted of belonging to a criminal organization.

Far-right Greek lawmaker Constantinos Floros leaves the debate chamber moments prior to allegedly assaulting a colleague inside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, on the sidelines of a parliamentary debate. (Michalis Karayiannis/ Eurokinissi via AP)