French Woman Missing in Greece Sent Distress Text

A photograph shows the Parthenon Temple at the top of the Acropolis hill in Athens on November 28, 2023. (AFP)
A photograph shows the Parthenon Temple at the top of the Acropolis hill in Athens on November 28, 2023. (AFP)
TT

French Woman Missing in Greece Sent Distress Text

A photograph shows the Parthenon Temple at the top of the Acropolis hill in Athens on November 28, 2023. (AFP)
A photograph shows the Parthenon Temple at the top of the Acropolis hill in Athens on November 28, 2023. (AFP)

A 73-year-old French woman missing on the Greek island of Sikinos since Friday sent a distress message to her hotel before disappearing, the owner said.

A search is under way for the woman, who has not been named by authorities. She is one of three tourists missing in Greece, and five have died this month in unseasonably hot weather.

Ilias Gavanas, who owns the guest house where the woman was staying, told Reuters he last heard from her on Friday when he reached her by phone around 8:30 a.m. after missing a call from her at 5:50 a.m.

He said the woman had sent him a selfie and a message saying: "I am fall". He replied in French and English asking for her location and telling her to call the European emergency number 112, and alerted police and municipal authorities.

Temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) across Greece earlier this month.

Hiking is popular with tourists on Sikinos, a largely barren and sparsely populated island in the southern Aegean Sea, Gavanas said.

"We warn them not to go out in the heat, to always inform us where they are, to not wander off alone," he said. "It was 40 degrees."

The tourism ministry said it "remained vigilant" and was working with other ministries to ensure travellers were being kept informed.

A second French woman is missing on Sikinos, and authorities believe the two missing women went hiking together although they were not staying at the same hotel, police said.

A search is under way on the island of Amorgos for an American man missing since June 11.

The five tourists who have died included British TV presenter Michael Mosley, whose body was found on the island of Symi. A 55-year-old American died on the Ionian island of Mathraki, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist died on the island of Samos and two hikers died on Crete.



Wildfire Fanned by Strong Wind Rages in Forest Area Near Athens

A boy cools himself from the misting system of a cafe in Athens, Greece, June 28, 2024. REUTERS/Elias Marcou
A boy cools himself from the misting system of a cafe in Athens, Greece, June 28, 2024. REUTERS/Elias Marcou
TT

Wildfire Fanned by Strong Wind Rages in Forest Area Near Athens

A boy cools himself from the misting system of a cafe in Athens, Greece, June 28, 2024. REUTERS/Elias Marcou
A boy cools himself from the misting system of a cafe in Athens, Greece, June 28, 2024. REUTERS/Elias Marcou

Dozens of firefighters were battling on Saturday to stop a wildfire from spreading to a nature reserve in a mountainous forest area on the outskirts of the Greek capital, the fire service said.
About 80 firefighters assisted by 10 water-carrying planes were trying to control the fire on Mount Parnitha, some 20 km north of Athens, which was being fueled by gale-force winds, Reuters quoted a fire brigade official as saying.
A thick cloud of smoke could be seen in the sky over Athens, which is flanked by mountains, but a local governor said no homes were threatened by the fire.
"The situation is stable so far," a deputy governor for part of Athens, Costas Zobos, told state television.
With hot, windy conditions across much of the country, authorities advised people to stay out of forest areas. Winds are not expected to weaken before Sunday, meteorologists said.
Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean country, but they have become more devastating in recent years as summers have become hotter, drier and windier, which scientists link to the effects of climate change.
After last summer's deadly forest fires and following its hottest winter on record, Greece developed a new doctrine, which includes deploying an extra fire truck to each new blaze, speeding up air support and clearing forests.