A 33-year-old female tourist was tragically killed by falling rocks in the Samaria Gorge on Crete following a sudden rain storm.
The Ukrainian national, residing in Germany, was nearing the southern exit of the gorge at Agia Roumeli when a landslide triggered by the storm struck. She succumbed to her injuries on the scene.
Emergency rescue teams were immediately dispatched to evacuate other tourists hiking through the gorge. The National Park of Samaria supervisor, Alkiviadis Pentarakis, confirmed that a strong downpour caused the landslide and that the incident was not due to a lack of warning.
The Samaria Gorge is a popular tourist attraction, with hundreds of people hiking the narrow canyon daily. Rescue operations are currently focused on evacuating the remaining hikers.