2023-07-24 22:07:59
Time.news – The situation in Greece is still very complicated, where during the night the firefighters fought for several hours to contain 82 fires throughout Greece, 64 of which started just yesterday, the hottest day of the summer so far.
Efforts that have been accomplished without the help of firefighting planes and helicopters, which do not operate at night. This was reported by the Greek newspaper Ekathiremini.
According to the Foreign Ministry there are no Italians involved. “We are following minute by minute through our Crisis Unit, messages have been sent to all Italians residing in Greece and we have personally contacted some fellow citizens who needed help. Our embassy has set up information desks at the airports to help those who are trying to return. At the moment there are no reports of fellow citizens in danger. There are difficulties related to returns to Italy with very crowded airports”, said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, on the sidelines of the FAO summit on systems food.
New fires they also broke out in Corfuwhere an evacuation order was issued due to a fire that broke out in the northern part of the island as in Rhodes.
The Greek Coast Guard said 59 people were taken from Nissaki beach on the northeast coast. The operation also involved private boats. More than 2,500 people have left the island. On Sunday, the firefighters announced, there were 64 new fires but there are 82 in total against which firefighters are fighting across the country.
The solidarity of Europe
“Europe stands with Greece as fires continue to rage in Rhodes. Such extreme weather conditions show how much we have to deal with climate change. I am grateful to the Greek authorities for the evacuation of people. Europe is playing its part, showing active solidarity.” The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, writes it in a tweet.
Rhodes airport transformed into a camp
Today Rhodes airport it looks like a makeshift camp, as fires raged across parts of the Greek island, with seasonal workers lounging on beach towels and chairs occupied by tourists still in their bathing suits. In the departure hall of the international airport, many travellers, waiting to go home, explain how they were evacuated from their hotels or holiday homes by the Aegean Sea “in nightmarish conditions”.
With 2.5 million visitors in 2022, Rhodes is one of the top destinations in the country. On Saturday and Sunday, some 30,000 people were evacuated as a precaution against the advance of flames, in what according to firefighters was the largest evacuation operation in the country.
#Greece #fire #Rhodes #burns #Corfu