Friday declared day of mourning in Greece

13/09/2001 16:05:46

The Greek government announced that Friday, Sept. 14 has been declared a day of mourning for the victims of the devastating terrorist attacks this week in New York and Washington.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas made the announcement on Thursday at his regular press briefing in Athens, adding that a relevant circular will be dispatched to public sector offices and agencies within the day.

Flags at Greek diplomatic missions will also fly at half-mast, he said. A telephone hotline (001.212.988.5500) at Greece's general consulate in New York City was inaugurated for any inquiries.

Additionally, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of New York along with expatriate groups and the country's diplomatic missions in the United States were working to coordinate blood drives.

So far, there are reports that eight Greek expatriates who worked in the WTC Towers have been missing since the time of the attack, though the foreign ministry earlier stressed that there has been no official information regarding Greek victims of the horrific terrorist hits.