Greece: Thousands Evacuated From Rhodes Island As Raging Wildfires Spread

Thousands of people including tourists were forced to evacuate their homes and hotels after a large wildfire tore through the Greek island of Rhodes.

Pine trees burning in a wildfire on the Greek island of Rhodes

Source : Getty

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and hotels after a large wildfire tore through the Greek island of Rhodes. Greece's fire service told the BBC that the situation could worsen due to weather. According to the British media house, more than 3,500 people have been evacuated by land and sea to safer locations. The report said that another 1,200 will be evacuated from three villages - Pefki, Lindos and Kalathos. Since Tuesday, the island has been battling wildfires fanned by strong winds amidst a heatwave in Europe.

As per the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection in Greece, no injuries have been reported so far on the island, BBC reported.

The Ministry also said that the tourists are being evacuated safely from the affected areas of Rhodes - which represent less than 10% of the island's tourist accommodation - and are being redirected to other hotels on the island.

Five helicopters and 173 firefighters were operating in the area to combat the wildfires, with three hotels in the Kiotari area reported to have been damaged by fire, reported BBC. The areas of Laerma, Lardos and Asklipio were also affected.

Private boats have also joined the Greek coastguard in the rescue operations to pick up people from beaches on the east of the island. Greek navy vessels were also reported to be heading to the area, which is popular with tourists, as reported by the BBC.

Spokesperson of the Hellenic Fire Corps, Lt Col Yannis Artopoios, described the fires as the most difficult the service has faced, reported BBC.

Greece is bracing for another weekend of extreme heat, as meteorologists caution that temperatures may soar to a scorching 45C (113F). According to one of the country's leading meteorologists, this could potentially become the hottest July weekend in 50 years.

Meanwhile, firefighters are persistently battling numerous wildfires across the nation. An area west of Athens is among the worst-hit areas, along with Laconia in the southern Peloponnese and the island of Rhodes.