A British woman has sparked fury on Santorini after she allegedly emptied the ashes of a loved one on the Greek island’s famed narrow streets.
Footage shared to social media showed the woman carrying a clear plastic container filled with what appears to be ash through the picturesque streets of Oia, on the north of the island.
She sprinkled the ashes as she and a group of other tourists walked by residents’ homes.
The group were heard singing Bob Marley’s iconic song ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’.
As the last of the ashes fell from the container, the group then burst into a round of applause.
It was reportedly the deceased’s last wish to have their ashes spread on the island.
But the video almost immediately sparked outrage from locals.
A representative of the local Chamber of Commerce was indignant when speaking about the matter to local media, calling the incident a ‘health bomb.’
Footage shared to social media showed the woman carrying a clear plastic container filled with what appears to be ash through the picturesque streets of Oia
She sprinkled the ashes as she and a group of other tourists walked by residents’ homes
They added: ‘You can’t just throw ash everywhere. It’s constantly windy on our island, so all this went everywhere, on passersby, shops and houses. Some limits must finally be set.’
While mourners do not generally need permission from Greek authorities to spread ashes, according to the UK’s foreign office, they can only be scattered in public under certain circumstances.
Remains can only be spread in designated memorial areas, or in remote natural areas.
Many choose to have their remains spread in the sea, with their loved ones taking a boat out before conducting a farewell ceremony.
