Crete

The Hellenic Coast Guard located and rescued 48 people on Friday after they had been disembarked on a rocky outcropping off Siteia, on the island of Crete. The group was comprised of 35 men, nine women, and four children.

A mother and two newborns were moved to the General Hospital of Agios Nikolaos, while two men and one woman are being treated at the local health center.

The Samaria Gorge in Crete, which was closed on August 14 following rockslides caused by an earthquake, will remain closed to visitors until Monday, inclusive, authorities said Saturday.

Aftershocks continue in the area, in southwest Crete.

Authorities on the Greek island of Crete have ordered the temporary closure of mountain gorges popular with hikers after an earthquake triggered a rockslide and seriously injured a Spanish tourist.

Authorities on Crete are investigating a fertility clinic in the city of Hania amid suspicions that it may have operated as a front for an illegal adoption racket.

Not only did the blistering heat in July set forests and towns alight, it also markedly increased the temperature of coastal waters, giving rise to a phenomenon known as a marine heatwave. 

​​​​​​In fact, when air tempratures peaked around July 25-27, the surface of the sea reached up to 30 degrees Celsius, as recorded in the southern Ionian Sea. 

A major Hellenic Fire Service operation is underway near the city of Irakleio on Crete on Monday to put out a fire that broke out in a grassy valley. There are no homes being threatened by the flames but the strong winds in the area have exacerbated the situation.

Tens of thousands of Athenians left the capital on Saturday in what is traditionally the largest summer holiday exodus. 

Greece is set to experience a brief respite from the recent spell of scorching temperatures, as the forecast indicates a slight drop, particularly in the eastern regions.

Police in Crete are investigating the discovery of a human head, likely to be that of a male aged in his 30s, at a waste sorting facility in Hania.

Upon discovery of the gruesome find, the unit, based in Akrotiri, shut down operations and called police.

A search then began in other waste containers in an effort to locate other body parts.

A 12-year-old boy that was pulled out of the water after he was found unconscious on Sunday on the island of Crete died on Thursday. The boy had been intubated at the PAGNI Hospital intensive care unit in Iraklio.