Rescue teams evacuated the remaining 10 tourists from the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium who had to spend the night inside a mountain gorge in Crete, after a rockfall killed a German tourist on Wednesday.
Samaria Gorge was closed five times this year due to rain or heat and twice as a precaution after an earthquake. On Wednesday, however, a storm warning came after visitors had entered the canyon, according to Costas Triantis, managing director of the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency (NECCA), which is responsible for the canyon’s operation.
“Samaria Gorge is closed as a precaution when an emergency bulletin is issued by Civil Protection for severe weather phenomena in Crete. Furthermore, because the gorge has its own microclimate, we get specialized forecasts from relevant scientific bodies. The canyon opens at 7a.m., so we consult forecasts issued up to an hour in advance,” he said.
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