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 stated the group was swept away by an avalanche.
Authorities reported that the hikers had begun their ascent in favorable weather conditions, which rapidly deteriorated due to altitude and the treacherous terrain.
Vasilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesperson for the Hellenic Fire Service, indicated that the alarm was raised by a friend of the three men when they failed to return on time.
Weather conditions were extremely difficult, with low temperatures and poor visibility, he noted, adding that these conditions hindered the operation of both drones and helicopters.
A fire service ground team later found the bodies of the three men and a woman, who was confirmed to be a friend of one of them and had not been expected to take part in the climb.
Recovery efforts were underway on Saturday amid extreme challenges, with officials describing the operation as highly complex. One body was successfully airlifted by helicopter, and efforts continue to retrieve the remaining three from the treacherous location.
Haris Asariotakis, head of the Hellenic Rescue Team, noted the location's difficulties, stating, It is about three hours from the village of Athanasios Diakos, at an altitude of 2,000m. If the helicopter is unable to reach the area, we will descend on foot alongside firefighters and mountain guides.
Additional reporting by Kostas Koukoumakas
