Some people say the way your year starts is how the year is going to be, so I'm expecting some adventures, I'll be like Indiana Jones," said Alina Abroutkouki yesterday. The 40-year-old interior designer spent the first night of the new year sleeping in Didsbury mosque, having been evacuated from her nearby home by boat hours earlier.
She was one of almost 1,000 people across Greater Manchester evacuated on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - half of them rescued on boats, and many from flooded homes. Many have still not been able to go back, with specialists working around the clock to restore power and water.
"It's horrendous," Abroutkouki said. "I just want to sleep properly and figure things out, and get the year started."
She is now staying in a hotel, and does not yet know when she will be able to go home. But she has volunteered to help next time the mosque becomes a haven for people in need.
On New Year's Day the building was packed with people who had been displaced - some of them refugees staying in a nearby hotel. As council staff worked constantly to find everyone accommodation, local residents came to donate duvets, food and drink.
Denne historien er fra January 03, 2025-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra January 03, 2025-utgaven av The Guardian.
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