“Wildfires Threaten Thousands of Tourists and Locals on Greek Island of Rhodes”
For the sixth consecutive day, firefighters in Greece are battling to extinguish raging wildfires on the popular tourist destination of Rhodes. The blazes have trapped thousands of tourists and locals, resulting in many having to spend the night in evacuation centers, hotels, gymnasiums, schools, or boats at the port. Despite the ongoing efforts, no major injuries have been reported, although nine individuals were briefly hospitalized, mostly due to respiratory problems.
Criticism has been directed towards travel operators for allowing tourists to fly to the island despite the dangerous fire conditions. Helen Tonks, a British tourist, described her arrival on Saturday evening as a “living nightmare” on the island. The hotel she had booked was already evacuated, forcing her to spend the night at a crisis center set up in a local school.
During the night, the coast guard vessels evacuated thousands of people from seaside areas at risk of the fires and moved them to safer parts of the island. Disturbing TV footage showed long lines of people, including children, walking under an orange sky to reach safety. Crowds also gathered on beaches in the dark as officers aided them onto rescue boats. Images depicted hundreds of people taking shelter in gymnasiums, where volunteers distributed water.
Ioannis Artopios, a spokesman for the Greek fire service, reported that around 19,000 people, including many British tourists, were relocated away from the fires on Saturday night. However, the fire service’s resources were further stretched when a bridge collapsed in the city of Patras, resulting in one death and eight individuals being hospitalized. Firefighters are currently conducting search and rescue operations in the rubble.
Tourists such as Paul Kalburgi, a British playwright and screenwriter, were evacuated multiple times from different hotels on the island. Mr. Kalburgi, who spent the night watching the flames from a hotel lobby, described the situation as helpless, with limited access to transportation options for leaving the island.
Several other tourists shared similar experiences and lamented their futile attempts to seek guidance from their travel agencies. In response to the crisis, British airline and tour operator Jet2 announced the cancellation of flights to Rhodes until the following Sunday. Tui, another British operator, also canceled flights to Rhodes for the next few days while promising to support customers on the island.
To facilitate the departures of affected tourists who may have lost their passports during the evacuations, the Greek Foreign Ministry announced the establishment of a help desk at Rhodes International Airport.
Local residents and volunteers have been praised for their kindness and support during this challenging and scary situation. Simon Warne, a British tourist attending a wedding on Rhodes, expressed gratitude towards the locals, who provided them with necessities and transportation when needed.
Efforts to extinguish the fires continue, with aircraft dropping water on the flames and firefighters working tirelessly to protect residential areas. The relocation operation carried out on the island is the largest-ever in Greece. The fires on Rhodes are part of hundreds of wildfires that have erupted across Greece in recent days, exacerbated by dry conditions caused by heatwaves sweeping the country. Southern European nations are also grappling with extreme weather conditions, including record-breaking temperatures and violent storms.
As temperatures are expected to reach 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) in central Greece on Sunday, authorities have taken precautionary measures, closing ancient sites such as the Acropolis.
Emma Bubola contributed reporting from London.
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