Two individuals lost their lives and a minimum of six others sustained injuries on Saturday in a shooting incident that occurred on the Greek island of Crete.
The event unfolded shortly after 11 am and stemmed from an ongoing family feud in the village of Vorizia, situated 32 miles south of the major city of Heraklion on the island.
Authorities confirmed that a 39-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman were the two victims who died during the exchange of gunfire. Six additional individuals were swiftly transported to local hospitals with injuries of varying degrees of severity, as reported by local emergency services EKAB.
Two injured men are currently hospitalized and are being closely monitored, with authorities investigating their involvement in the armed confrontation.
The gun battle prompted a significant reaction from security forces and emergency response teams to the small mountain village, where authorities have initiated a preliminary inquiry.
This incident is apparently part of an ongoing bitter conflict between two local families, as per local media reports, and comes after an explosion on Friday night at a house under construction, which fortunately caused no injuries.
According to Greek public broadcaster ERT, the two families had previously clashed over grazing lands, which were eventually settled through private mediation, a common practice in rural areas of Crete. Last year, tensions reignited when a member of one family purchased land to construct a house in an area predominantly controlled by the other family.
It is noted that the house where the explosion occurred on Friday was built on this disputed land.