Four hikers who went missing on Christmas Day have been found dead after being buried by an avalanche in the snow-covered Vardousia Mountains in central Greece. The bodies of three men and a woman were found on Friday evening after a large-scale search in the mountainous region of Fokida, according to Greek state broadcaster ERT.
Fire service teams located the bodies partially covered by snow on a steep and inaccessible slope near the summit of Korakas peak, at an altitude of about 2,000m (6,561ft). Rescue officials said the group was swept away by an avalanche.
Authorities said the hikers had begun their ascent in favourable weather, but conditions quickly worsened due to the altitude and the area's terrain.
Vasilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesperson for the Hellenic Fire Service, told the BBC the alarm was raised by a friend of the three men after they failed to return at the expected time. 'Weather conditions were extremely difficult, with low temperatures and poor visibility,' he said, adding this made it hard for both drones and a helicopter to detect anything.
Recovery efforts were under way on Saturday, described as an extremely challenging operation. One of the bodies was successfully airlifted by helicopter. Efforts continue to move the remaining three to a nearby plateau using a winch.
Haris Asariotakis, head of the Hellenic Rescue Team mission at the scene, noted that difficult terrain hindered recovery efforts, as it is about three hours from the village of Athanasios Diakos at the height of 2,000m. If helicopters are unable to reach the area, team efforts will proceed on foot alongside firefighters and mountain guides.
Fire service teams located the bodies partially covered by snow on a steep and inaccessible slope near the summit of Korakas peak, at an altitude of about 2,000m (6,561ft). Rescue officials said the group was swept away by an avalanche.
Authorities said the hikers had begun their ascent in favourable weather, but conditions quickly worsened due to the altitude and the area's terrain.
Vasilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesperson for the Hellenic Fire Service, told the BBC the alarm was raised by a friend of the three men after they failed to return at the expected time. 'Weather conditions were extremely difficult, with low temperatures and poor visibility,' he said, adding this made it hard for both drones and a helicopter to detect anything.
Recovery efforts were under way on Saturday, described as an extremely challenging operation. One of the bodies was successfully airlifted by helicopter. Efforts continue to move the remaining three to a nearby plateau using a winch.
Haris Asariotakis, head of the Hellenic Rescue Team mission at the scene, noted that difficult terrain hindered recovery efforts, as it is about three hours from the village of Athanasios Diakos at the height of 2,000m. If helicopters are unable to reach the area, team efforts will proceed on foot alongside firefighters and mountain guides.
