A fire on the Greek island of Rhodes requires the evacuation of more than 2,000 people

More than 2000 people he was evacuated by the sea of ​​two beaches in the island of Rhodes (Greece) due to forest fires which have been rampaging the island uncontrollably for five days, the Greek fire service reported this Saturday.

So far, more than 2,500 tourists were evacuated by boats from the beaches of Kiotari and Lardos, on the east coast of the island, Coast Guard spokesman Nikos Alexi told private television SKAI. Because of the fire, at least seven cities in the center and on the east coast had to be evacuated, because the fire has a front of at least 25 kilometers. In total, at least 30,000 people had to be displaced, and when the evacuation order was issued this afternoon, around 8,000 tourists were in the area.

The fire damaged at least three hotels and they have already reached the town of Laerma, in the center of the island, where the houses were burned, local media reports. Pictures published by the Greek media show tourists being transferred by vehicle to the evacuation site on the beach. Videos published on social networks show multi-kilometer queues of tourists walking with suitcases to nearby beaches to evacuate.

All flights from Rhodes are full, so thousands of tourists I can’t leave the island by plane, the newspaper News247 reports. Rhodes Port Authority has decided to requisition all tourist boats in the area to assist in the evacuation operation, while one navy ship has also been deployed in the area.

the fire was burning thousands of hectares of rainforest and this Saturday it spread from the center of the island towards the east coast. Three coast guard ships, a navy ship, military inflatable boats and 30 private boats, including tourist boats, were used in the evacuation, which went “without incident,” fire department spokesman Yannis Artopios was quoted as saying by the newspaper. KathymerinYo

The Blue Star company also offered one of its ferries to transport some of the evacuees, Artopios explained. “Less than 10 percent of tourists on the island” were affected by the forced evacuation, he emphasized. “These are tragic moments. The destruction is unimaginable,” South Aegean Governor Giorgios Hatzimarkos said in a statement to public broadcaster Skai. “Our goal is human lives,” he stressed.

The area of ​​Laerma was the most affected, where the evacuation of this tourist area was ordered due to strong winds. However, it seems that the tourist facilities themselves are not in danger for now.

Greece lives a extreme heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 44 degrees today in central Greece, while thermometers up to 45 degrees are expected this Sunday. Fires have been ravaging the island for five days and are out of control on two out of four fronts, according to the latest official assessment. Residents who remained on the island are in most cases without electricity because the power plant in the south of Rhodes has been turned off for safety.

In the fight against flames they work 205 Greek firefighters on the ground with 39 vehicles and with the support of air assets. 31 Slovak firefighters with five vehicles were also hired to participate in the extinguishing.

The Greek Ministry of Civil Protection has issued a high fire risk warning for seven of the country’s thirteen regions: Attica, Central Greece, Peloponnese, Western Greece, Thessaly, South Aegean and North Aegean.