Construction work unearths skeletons of dozens of people executed in Greece during the 1940s

Construction work near one of Greece's most notorious prisons in Thessaloniki has unearthed the remains of dozens of people executed during the Greek Civil War era, relatives and officials said Wednesday. The grisly find included the discovery of footwear, including the remnants of a woman's shoe.

So far, 33 skeletons have been found near Eptapyrgio prison northeast of the city, a former Byzantine-era fortress later known as Yedi Kule under Ottoman rule, city officials said in a statement.

The Greek civil war lasted from 1946 to 1949 but executions of political prisoners held for alleged affiliation to the Greek communist party (KKE) continued for years thereafter.