Two individuals lost their lives and at least six others sustained injuries during an incident involving gunfire on Saturday in Crete, a Greek island.
The confrontation originated shortly after 11 am and was ignited by an ongoing family dispute in Vorizia village, located 32 miles south of Heraklion, the island’s main city.
Confirming the casualties, the police stated that a 39-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman perished in the shootout. Emergency services transported six other individuals with various injuries to nearby hospitals.
Two injured men are currently hospitalized and are being monitored by authorities as part of the investigation into their involvement in the armed conflict.
The gun battle prompted a significant response from security forces and emergency responders to the small mountainous village, where authorities have initiated a preliminary inquiry.
Sources suggest that the incident is connected to a longstanding conflict between two local families and follows an explosion at a construction site on Friday evening, which fortunately resulted in no injuries.
Reports from Greek public broadcaster ERT indicate that the families had previously clashed over grazing lands, resolving the disputes through private mediation, a common practice in rural Crete. Tensions reignited when a member of one family purchased land in an area traditionally claimed by the other family to construct a house.
Allegedly, the house involved in the explosion on Friday was constructed on this disputed land.