A 59-year-old worker was killed on the job in tourist accommodation in Thira on Saturday, April 12, 2025, authorities confirmed. The incident occurred when a folding bed collapsed on her, causing a fatal neck injury.
According to a statement from the General Regional Police Directorate of the South Aegean, the woman was a foreign worker, and was found crushed beneath the bed by responding officers. The manager of the business has been arrested and faces charges of manslaughter by negligence in connection with the fatal workplace accident.
Local news outlet Santonews reported that the victim was a widow and mother of three daughters—one of whom is pregnant—and had been living and working in Santorini for several years to support her family. Her body is expected to be repatriated to Albania for burial.
A member of the Tourism-Food Workers’ Union told local media that the bed had a faulty reclining mechanism meant to provide access to storage space. “The reclining mechanism did not work as it should and the iron frame with the slats and the mattress fell on her neck, resulting in her being killed for daily wages. She went without insurance out of necessity, unfortunately,” the union member stated.
A preliminary investigation into the exact causes and conditions of the incident is ongoing, according to the Thira Police Sub-Directorate.
