Police in Malia say victim, another Briton, died within minutes of being stabbed outside bar
A 19-year-old British tourist has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a fellow Briton during a brawl outside a bar in Malia on the Greek island of Crete.
In the first incident of its kind this summer, police confirmed the victim, also 19, had died "within minutes of being stabbed" in the early hours of Tuesday. A man was arrested after police arrived at the resort on Tuesday morning.
"The suspect is being detained until he appears before a public prosecutor, which will likely happen tomorrow," Superintendent Constantinos Boukakis said.
"There have been more than 15 arrests of Britons involved in the quarrel and, from what I know, they singled out the suspect as the man who wielded the knife."
The victim, who has yet to be identified, was stabbed in the heart, according to police in the nearby town of Hersonissos.
"He died within minutes," said a local police officer, Maria Mackraki. "Medics tried to revive him but it was too late. He was stabbed in the heart."
The incident is believed to have occurred when the British tourists came to blows after a night of heavy drinking in the resort. Malia is popular among young Britons.
"We moved very quickly, sending a lot of good officers down to Malia immediately," said Mackraki. "The quarrel soon turned into a fight and when everyone realised what had happened they fled."
A coroner will conduct a postmortem before the body of the Briton is repatriated.
"I hope to conclude the examination today," the coroner, Manolis Michalodimitrakis, told the Guardian. "It would appear that this is another case of intoxication and aggression involving tourists from Britain. It never happens with other nationals and is very sad."
A UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Malia, Greece, on 23 July. We stand ready to provide consular assistance to the family."
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