Latest World News: Tourists flee wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes, flights are canceled

Thousands of people spent the night away and tour operators Jet2, TUI and Correndon canceled flights from the island, located in southeastern Greece and popular with holidaymakers for its beaches and historic sites.

Forest fire in GreeceTourists shelter in a stadium after being evacuated following a forest fire on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 23, 2023. (Reuters)

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A raging wildfire on the Greek island of Rhodes forced thousands of tourists and islanders to shelter in covered schools and stadiums on Sunday after being evacuated from coastal villages and resorts.

Thousands of people spent the night away and tour operators Jet2, TUI and Correndon canceled flights from the island, located in southeastern Greece and popular with holidaymakers for its beaches and historic sites.

A government official told Reuters that 19,000 people had been removed from their homes and hotels, including 3,000 by boat. Many were assisted by the police.

No casualties were reported in the fire.

Greek authorities said the evacuation effort was among the largest the country has ever mounted.

We were walking down the road at 2am and the fire was catching up with us, tourist Amy Leyden told Sky News, calling the experience terrifying.

I didn’t think we were going to make it, said Leyden, describing being moved from two hotels with her 11-year-old daughter, before being taken to safety at a school in the north of the island.

Coastguard vessels and dozens of private boats ferried more than 2,000 tourists from beaches on Saturday after the wildfire, which has been burning for nearly a week, was fanned by high winds and reignited along the southeastern part of the island.

Many fled hotels when huge flames reached the seaside villages of Kiotari, Gennadi, Pefki, Lindos, Lardos and Kalathos. Large groups gathered in the streets under red skies waiting to be brought to safety. Smoke weighed heavily on a deserted beach.

Volunteers battled to put out a blaze that blackened the hillside and charred buildings near Lindos, one of the most visited sites on the island and famous for its acropolis perched on a massive rock inside medieval walls.
We have between 4,000 and 5,000 people now housed in different structures, Thanasis Virinis, a deputy mayor of Rhodes, told Mega TV on Sunday, calling for donations of essentials such as mattresses and sheets.

First published on: 2023-07-23 at 18:21 IST





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