A shocked Crete is mourning the sudden death of journalist Maria Antonogiannaki, who passed away at the age of 46 on Sunday afternoon, July 5, in Heraklion. According to reports from Kriti TV, she died of cardiac arrest.
Funeral Details
Her funeral will take place today at 4:00 p.m. at the Church of Agios Ioannis Knossou in Heraklion. The funeral service will begin at that time, and her body will lie in the church for final farewells starting at 3:30 p.m. She will be buried at Heraklion’s New Cemetery.
Circumstances of Death
Antonogiannaki was found deceased inside her car in a garage in the Ayios Ioannis area of Heraklion. An EKAB ambulance with a physician responded immediately, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Greek police have classified the incident as resulting from natural (pathological) causes.
Security camera footage shows Antonogiannaki entering her home, then descending to the garage and getting into her vehicle—where she took her last breath.
Her body has been transferred to the University Hospital of Heraklion (PA.G.N.I.), where an autopsy will be conducted to confirm the precise cause of death.
Tributes and Reactions
Her sudden passing has deeply saddened Crete’s journalistic community—especially colleagues at Kriti TV, where she worked. Fellow journalists described the news as paralyzing, saying it leaves an irreplaceable void.
In its official tribute, the Kriti TV group wrote: “Maria, our Maria. Our person. A beloved colleague who left us so suddenly, so unjustly—and far too young.”