Four Hikers Tragically Killed by Avalanche in Greece

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An avalanche in the Vardousia Mountains, central Greece, swept away four hikers, leaving them dead. The tragedy unfolded when three men and a woman, who went missing on Christmas Day, were discovered by rescue teams late Friday. Rescue teams discovered their bodies on an inaccessible slope near Korakas peak, situated at about 2,000 meters in the Fokida region.

Greek state broadcaster ERT reported that fire authorities found the victims partially buried in snow, suggesting that the avalanche had overwhelmed them. The group had started their hike in favourable weather, but the conditions deteriorated rapidly due to the altitude and challenging terrain.

A friend raised the alarm when the hikers failed to return, according to Vasilis Vathrakogiannis of the Hellenic Fire Service. "Weather conditions were extremely difficult, with low temperatures and poor visibility," making search efforts by drones and helicopters challenging, he said. Ultimately, a ground team discovered the bodies on the perilous slope.

Experts have described the recovery efforts that commenced on Saturday as extremely challenging. One body has so far been airlifted to safety by helicopter, while plans to retrieve the remaining three include using a winch on a nearby plateau. Haris Asariotakis, leading the Hellenic Rescue Team at the scene, said the location posed significant difficulties due to its remoteness, requiring lengthy travel from the nearest village, Athanasios Diakos, reported the BBC.

Key Takeaways

• Four hikers died in an avalanche in Greece’s Vardousia Mountains.
• Difficult conditions hampered recovery operations, with one body airlifted.
• The sudden weather change during their hike contributed to the tragedy.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC 2025-12-29