- Rhodes Evacuations: Flights Scheduled to Bring Back Stranded Tourists
- Extreme Heat and Wildfires Disrupt British Vacationers in Greece
- Chaotic Evacuations and Lack of Communication Add to Tourists’ Stress
Rhodes is expecting flights to return visitors stranded by flames on Monday evening.
After the flames threatened holiday resorts, British visitors slept at the airport, in makeshift rescue centers, and on the street.
On Sunday evening, a second evacuation order was issued for portions of Corfu, approximately 1,027 kilometers (670 miles) distant.
An official stated that boats had been dispatched to evacuate persons by sea.
Wildfires have already destroyed homes on Rhodes and in other regions.
Monday, both EasyJet and Jet2 intend to dispatch flights to Rhodes to transport stranded vacationers back home.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of British travelers flock to the popular vacation destination. But many have reported being trapped in a nightmare.
As fires spread from the center of the Greek island to its eastern coast, where many resort hotels are located, many were forced to abandon their belongings and escape on foot in extreme heat.
Others were forced to sleep on mattresses in emergency shelters and sports centers because the island’s hotels were full.
Greece has seen temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and flames for nearly a week.
Since Tuesday, Rhodes has been combating fires fanned by strong winds, and approximately 19,000 people have been evacuated so far.
According to the Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection, this was “the country’s largest evacuation due to a wildfire.”
Rhodes firefighting was underway when Corfu officials had to issue another evacuation order.
On Sunday night, the Emergency Communications Service of Greece advised people to evacuate the areas of Santa, Megoula, Porta, Palia, Perithia, and Sinies due to fires in the northern portion of the island, which is popular with British tourists.
Approximately 2,400 persons have been evacuated from Corfu as a precaution, a fire department spokesman told the AFP news agency.
Nearly sixty individuals were evacuated from the Nissaki shoreline in the island’s north-eastern region by coast guard and private vessels.
Greek tourist minister Olga Kefalo O-Gianni called Corfu’s evacuation “not alarming” and much less than Rhodes’.
She advised travelers to continue with their travel plans to areas of Corfu and Rhodes not affected by the wildfires.
Evia, the second-largest Greek island, is also being evacuated while emergency services fight fires, according to ANA-MPA.
Monday’s national holiday in Greece has been canceled “in light of the extraordinary conditions prevailing in the country as a result of the fires.”
Sunday, the British Foreign Office issued updated travel advice for Greece, cautioning that “the situation can change rapidly, so you should keep up with official advice.”
It recommended wildfire victims to call 112 in emergencies.
The British government has dispatched a six-member rapid deployment team and four Red Cross workers to Rhodes to assist British nationals and support travel operators.
Minister of the Foreign Office Andrew Mitchell stated that between 7,000 and 10,000 British tourists are currently on Rhodes, where they are experiencing “stress and anxiety” due to an “inevitable degree of chaos” despite robust local support.
He told The Today show that the government’s travel advice is evaluated and “changes will be made if necessary.”
Mr. Mitchell stated that it was “too early to condemn” vacation companies and noted that some have announced additional flights to return people home.
He stated that the fires are “undoubtedly a wake-up call” regarding climate change and added, “Climate change is real.” Right now. And the world must combat it, with the United Kingdom taking the lead.”
It is unknown what caused the flames, but Greece’s extreme temperatures and dry conditions have aided in their spread.
The deputy mayor of North Corfu, Theofanis Skembris, stated that the local fire department’s “first unofficial assumption is that it was arson” because the fires began “simultaneously in four different places.”
Maria Feggou of the Hellenic Red Cross is among those laboring to deliver supplies to Rhodes’s evacuees and rescue personnel.
She stated that the situation is a “nightmare” but predicted that the island will soon return to normal.
She added that the Greek government is attempting to assist, but “there are fires all over Greece. So we understand they cannot provide as much assistance as we would like because they must be everywhere.”
On the same broadcast, British islander George Tsuchnikas stated he has welcomed families from Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Ireland.
He stated that displaced vacationers are “devastated, exhausted, and unsure of what will happen next,” adding, “Lack of communication and information is the primary issue, but people are doing what they can.”
Jack Askin, who landed at East Midlands airport on a scheduled Ryanair flight from Rhodes, told that the situation was “scary,” adding, “It was really bad – we got out on Saturday night, and the airport was a complete disaster.”
Sunday night, Connie Woods, 18, from Newry, Northern Ireland, spent her second night in a school after being evacuated from the Pefki Island hotel.
Ms. Woods stated that there are already hundreds of people lodging at the school, with more on the way. “It’s getting quite crowded,” she stated.
“There are so many young children, families without luggage, and newborns. It’s terrible.”
The Greek fire department has warned that the situation could worsen as more villages are evacuated.
Rhodes deputy mayor Athanasios Vyrinis warned that individuals had to sleep in cardboard boxes and that supplies were scarce.
Despite the situation on the ground, flights to the island have continued, with some passengers arriving Saturday night to discover their hotels evacuated.
