Greek emergency lines 100 and 199 restored after telecom provider works knocked them out

What happened

Greece's emergency lines 100 (the Hellenic Police Direct Action line) and 199 (the Fire Service) stopped working properly on Thursday, 8 October 2026, because of works on the network carried out by a fixed-line telephone provider. The first notice from the police said calls to 100 might not be served normally, and it advised citizens to dial the European emergency number 112 instead. The Fire Service issued its own notice after the problem with 100 was reported, saying the disruption to 199 was also caused by the provider's works. Sources described the fault as temporary, and the 112 recommendation was to apply for as long as the works lasted.

Fire Service alternatives

The Fire Service asked people who wanted to call 199 to dial 112 instead. Its notice also listed regional operations centre numbers for use where calls were not getting through, including 6936839213 for Attica and 6952000636 for the Peloponnese, with separate numbers for other regions such as Crete at 6936022328 and 6952000517.

We ask citizens who want to call the number 199 to call the European Emergency Call Number 112

Restoration and open questions

The lines were restored on the afternoon of the same day. One report put the recovery shortly before 17:00, and reports said both numbers were working normally again once the works were completed. Reports attributed the fault to the provider's works but gave no further detail on the nature of the technical problem. The first announcement about line 100 gave no time for its restoration.