Tourist Killed by Rockslide in Crete's Samaria Gorge

Agia Roumeli, Crete - Tragedy struck Crete's Samaria Gorge on Wednesday afternoon when a sudden rainstorm triggered a landslide, killing a 33-year-old tourist.

The victim, a Ukrainian national residing in Germany, was nearing the end of her hike and was close to the southern exit of the gorge at Agia Roumeli village when she was fatally injured by falling rocks. Despite the efforts of a doctor who was also hiking in the area, the woman succumbed to her injuries.

Following the incident, which occurred around 1:30 pm local time, emergency rescue units were immediately dispatched to the scene to evacuate other hikers. The Samaria Gorge, one of Greece's most popular national parks, attracts hundreds of visitors daily, particularly during the summer months.

Speaking to MEGA television, Alkiviadis Pentarakis, a supervisor at the Samaria National Park, confirmed that the landslide was caused by a sudden, heavy downpour. He stated that authorities were not forewarned of the storm and therefore the gorge remained open to the public.

Rescue operations are ongoing, focusing on safely evacuating the remaining hikers from the gorge.