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 discovered 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 mentioned that the hikers had begun their ascent in favorable weather, but conditions quickly worsened due to the altitude and the area's terrain.
Vasilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesperson for the Hellenic Fire Service, noted that a friend raised the alarm for the three men after they failed to return at the expected time.
Weather conditions were extremely difficult, with low temperatures and poor visibility, he explained, which complicated efforts for drones and helicopters to detect anything.
A fire service ground team later found the bodies of the three men and a woman who was a friend of one of them and had not been expected to partake in the climb.
Recovery efforts were ongoing, described as particularly challenging due to the terrain. One body was successfully airlifted by helicopter, and efforts continue to move the remaining three to a near plateau for winch recovery.
Haris Asariotakis, head of the Hellenic Rescue Team at the scene, indicated that the location was notably difficult to access, situated about three hours from the village of Athanasios Diakos at an altitude of 2,000m.
If the helicopter cannot reach the area, we will proceed on foot with firefighters and mountain guides, he added.
Additional reporting by Kostas Koukoumakas
