Four hikers found dead after avalanche in central Greece

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 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 said the group was swept away by an avalanche.

Authorities said the hikers had begun their ascent in favourable weather, but conditions quickly worsened due to the altitude and the area’s terrain.

Vasilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesperson for the Hellenic Fire Service, told the BBC the alarm was raised by a friend of the three men after they failed to return at the expected time.

“Weather conditions were extremely difficult, with low temperatures and poor visibility,” he said, adding this made it hard for both drones and a helicopter to detect anything.

He said 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.

The Vardousia Mountains are considered one of Greece’s most challenging mountaineering areas, particularly in winter, when conditions can be unforgiving even for experienced climbers.

Haris Asariotakis, head of the Hellenic Rescue Team mission at the scene, said preparations were under way to recover the bodies.

Authorities said rescue teams began approaching the site early on Saturday, with a helicopter requested to help transport the bodies if weather conditions allow, due to the distance from the nearest road.

Additional reporting by Kostas Koukoumakas