The authorities in Evros, northeastern Greece, have raised the alarm following extensive flooding of the river that marks the border with Turkey.
Local officials have called upon the government to declare the region in a state of emergency after the river swelled above danger levels at Pythio in Didymoteicho.
The region’s deputy governor, Dimitris Petrovic, said that the level of water in the river has been above dangerous levels for four consecutive days.
He warned that the problem could worsen as neighboring Bulgaria has announced it will release more water into the river from the Ivaylovgrad Dam.
Meanwhile, Greek rescue crews are still searching for a group of about 15 migrants who are missing in the region.
Reports say that at least 15 people were in a group that tried to cross the swollen and fast-flowing river. Crews responded to a call to the European Union-wide emergency number 112.
Flooding has seen Greece declare states of emergency before. In December, the municipalities of Agrinio and Messologhi in the western prefecture of Aitoloakarnania declared a state of emergency after heavy rains caused floods and landslides.
In September Greek authorities declared Samothraki to be in a state of emergency in the aftermath of catastrophic rainstorms that caused many parts of the island to be buried in mud.
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