Grief and fear in Vorizia after deadly family feud

Dramatic scenes unfolded connected Sunday day successful Vorizia, adjacent Crete’s superior Iraklio, arsenic the assemblage of 39-year-old Fanouris Kargakis – 1 of the victims of a bloody feud betwixt rival families – arrived successful the upland village astatine the ft of Mount Psiloritis.

The assemblage was transported from the University General Hospital of Heraklion, escorted by astatine slightest 30 pickup trucks that formed a agelong procession. Each vehicle was thoroughly inspected earlier entering the village, arsenic constabulary mounted a full-scale information cognition to guarantee the harmless transfer of the body.

When the procession reached the two-story household home, brightly lit connected Sunday night, women of the household standing connected balconies and successful the street beneath broke into anguished cries, wailing and beating their chests. Men stood silently crossed the street and on the adjacent walls. Relatives planned to spend the nighttime successful the household home, arsenic did heavy equipped constabulary units stationed astatine the entrances and halfway of the village.

The accomplishment of Kargakis’ assemblage marked the latest section successful a continuing tragedy, up of the ceremonial scheduled for Monday noon. His relatives are expected to walk to the village cemetery connected foot, passing done the constrictive lanes and past the homes of the rival family.

New grounds suggests that Kargakis whitethorn person been struck by two antithetic weapons, though ballistic tests had not been completed by Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, the 2nd victim, a 56-year-old woman from the opposing family, was recovered by the coroner to person died from a gunshot wound, not from cardiac apprehension arsenic section media initially reported.

It remains uncertain whether, under the unwritten codes of the upland villages connected the slopes of Psiloritis, this grim equilibrium of nonaccomplishment tin bring immoderate semblance of calm.

Earlier connected Sunday, heavy equipped EKAM counter-terrorism officers carried retired searches successful village homes, with masked policemen positioned connected rooftops passim the operation. The weapons used successful Saturday’s shootout person yet to beryllium found. Searches besides extended to surrounding hillsides, distant shepherd huts, and rocky hideouts. At slightest three suspects, each relatives of the deceased, stay missing.

Authorities person besides collected testimonies identifying the suspected instigator of a weaponry onslaught connected 1 family’s location past Friday – an incidental believed to person triggered the spiral of violence that culminated successful the deadly clash.

By Sunday night, arsenic acheronian fell, residents withdrew into their homes. Even the village cafe remained closed. Bullet holes scarred store doors, location walls, and vehicles. On Monday, schools successful the Municipality of Faistos, to which the village belongs, will stay closed.