Tourists seen trying to escape as rocks crash onto packed Greece beach

VIDEO has captured the moment tourists fled as rocks crashed onto a packed beach, capsizing boats and triggering whirlpools.

HOLIDAY-makers broke down in tears as rocks collapsed onto a packed Greek beach on Thursday, triggering whirlpools and injuring seven.

Terrifying footage showed tourists trying to escape on boats as massive chunks of rock came crashing down on top of them in Navagio, Zante.

Wendy Thorpe, from Newcastle, UK, saw older beachgoers “covered in blood” as rocks created huge waves and washed them out to sea, The Sun reported.

The sheet of rock crashed into rubble on the packed beach. Picture: @nathelie0521

The 53-year-old mum had just arrived with her daughter Paris to take photographs for her modelling portfolio when they heard an “almighty crash”.

READ MORE: Dark side of stunning island of Zante

“It was like a scene out of a horror movie,” she told Sun Online. “People on the beach were screaming with panic as a second round of rocks began to fall.

“A smaller boat capsized and I could hear horrible screams saying a few people were trapped under the boat.”

Beachgoers underneath ran for safety. Picture: @nathelie0521

Ms Thorpe said she watched as “huge clumps of the rubble literally fell on top of people”.

“I saw a couple taking funny pictures just before the rocks fell, and I could not see them afterwards, for the life of me,” she said.

“There were no coastguards to be seen. It was just us holiday-makers helping each other.”

Carrie Anne Coleman, from Essex, UK, said she was “knocked off” her feet by the second and much bigger rockfall.

“It was absolutely terrifying. It all happened so quickly. I tried to run but the waves knocked me off my feet,” she said.

The landslide caused boats to capsize. Picture: @nathelie0521

“The smaller rock face fell at around 11am, and minutes later a much bigger one turned boats over causing massive waves.”

One video shows boats packed with tourists swerving past each other in a bid to avoid the tumbling boulders.

Thick clouds of dust, sand and debris filled the beach, sparking panic as dozens struggled to find their loved ones.

People get on a boat to leave the beach after the landslide. Picture: imerazante.gr via AP

A family relaxing on towels narrowly missed being struck by a huge boulder.

The video showed a wall of rock peeling from the cliff and falling on tourists below.

An eyewitness told the ANA agency: “There was a rumble and a rock fell, followed by a larger rock and then another.”

A couple of small boats overturned as the force of the fall caused high waves, witnesses told authorities.

Small boats are capsized after a landslide. Picture: imerazante.gr via AP

A Czech woman suffered back injuries and was transferred to hospital.

Another six people, including two children, received treatment for minor injuries, a hospital official told Reuters.

Coast guards and firefighters began searching for any more victims who could be trapped under the rocks.

The beach of Navagio, or Shipwreck Beach, is popular with tourists. Picture: AP/Petros Karadjias, File

Zante’s fire department said: “So far, we haven’t found any trapped people but we will continue searching.”

The Ionian island of Zante, also known as Zakynthos, is popular with British holiday-makers.

One of its main attractions is a shipwreck on the shore at Navagio.

The beach is surrounded by steep cliffs and can only be reached by boat.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.