Authorities on the large island of Crete on Saturday said up to 60 hikers are stranded, but not in danger in the renowned Samaria gorge, after heavy rains turned a stream running through the base of the gorge into a fast-moving torrent.
The heavy and sudden rainfall apparently caught the hikers, many of whom are foreign nationals off guard.
Park rangers and guides have reportedly collected hikers at a shelter located at the small chapel of Aghios Nikolaos, which stands on high ground along the one and only trail and offers protection from the elements.
The roughly 16-kilometer-long Samaria gorge is one of Greece’s best-known national parklands and a World Biosphere Reserve.
Entry into the gorge has been blocked, at least until Sunday.