The fires have led to one of the largest-ever evacuations in Greek history.

By Guy Birchall and Lauren Russell, news reporters 

Monday 24 July 2023 04:49, UK

Sea evacuations have begun from a beach in Corfu to transport individuals fleeing wildfires on the Greek island – as scores of Britons await repatriation flights out of Rhodes.

Around 59 people have been evacuated from Nissaki beach on the northwest coast, the Greek Coast Guard said.

The evacuation involved six coast guard vessels and nine private vessels.

It comes as flights have been arranged to get hundreds of Britons out of Rhodes, another island where one of the largest evacuations in Greek history has taken place.

Tourists and residents huddled in schools and shelters on Sunday in Rhodes, with many evacuated on private boats from beaches as flames menaced resorts and coastal villages.

Scores of others were forced to spend the weekend sleeping rough on beaches, pool sun loungers or on the streets.

A total of approximately 19,000 people have been rescued from the island.

Greece’s Emergency Communications Service published evacuation orders for some areas of Corfu after reports of wildfires.

People in the areas of Santa, Megoula, Porta, Palia, Perithia and Sinies on the island were told to leave on Sunday evening.

TUI also advised that individuals set to stay at specific hotels in Corfu on the 24 or 25 July do not travel to the airport.

“If you’re staying at the TUI Blue Atlantica Nissaki Beach, Pantokrator, Golden Mare, La Riviera or Nautilusue then we advise not to travel to the airport. Other hotels are operating as normal,” it said in a statement on Sunday.

How the wildfire chaos in Rhodes unfolded – amid new alerts on Corfu

Tour operators Jet2, TUI and Correndon have cancelled flights leaving for Rhodes in the next few days.

Travel agent Thomas Cook cancelled some upcoming holidays and is offering other customers full refunds should they wish to cancel their trips.

While Easyjet has said it is laying on two repatriation flights from the island on Monday, in addition to the nine flights they already operate between the Rhodes and the UK – providing 421 extra seats to get people out.

The airline also pledged to run another repatriation flight back to the UK on Tuesday and promised to keep the situation under review.

No rain forecast after historic evacuation

The flames have left trees black and skeletal and the roads around the island littered with dead animals and near burnt-out cars.

Six people were briefly treated at a hospital for respiratory problems.

A person who fell and broke a leg during a hotel evacuation and a pregnant woman were taken to hospital. The pregnant woman is in good condition, authorities said.

Temperatures are expected to drop below 40C on the island on Monday but remain in the high 30s.

There is no rain forecast in the next week.

The fire brigade said 19,000 people were moved from homes and hotels, calling it the biggest safe transport of residents and tourists Greece has ever carried out.

Read more:
What rights do holidaymakers have?

Evacuation ‘chaos’ amid ‘hotels on fire’

Speaking to Sky News at Rhodes Airport, tourist Tom Mitchell recounted how he and his friend Natalie Taylor were evacuated from their hotel.

He said: “We were at the hotel yesterday and there was lots of smoke. It got to one o’clock this morning and we had an evacuation notice come through on our phones to leave.

“It just felt like chaos really.”

Eventually, a coach arrived and took them to a school in the city.

He praised the locals for all the help offered to stranded tourists as he and Ms Taylor sat in the airport, waiting for their flight home.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player1:01

https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.581.0_en.html#goog_841106408Play Video – Inside a shelter for evacuees in RhodesTourists are ‘furious’ as they take shelter in Rhodes

Another British family spent a night sleeping on the floor of a school after being evacuated from a wildfire on Rhodes.

Coastguard vessels and private boats carried more than 3,000 tourists from beaches on Saturday after the wildfires, which have burned for nearly a week, rekindled in the southeast of Rhodes.

Other parts of Greece’s third most populated island were not affected.

Olga Kefalogianni, Greece’s tourism minister, told Sky News “overall, the island is functioning very well”.

She praised locals for showing “solidarity” with tourists affected by the fires.

Nevertheless, areas popular with many tourists were badly hit.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player3:27

Many people fled hotels when huge flames reached the seaside villages of Kiotari, Gennadi, Pefki, Lindos, Lardos and Kalathos.

Crowds gathered in streets under an orange sky while smoke hung in the air.

In Lindos, famed for an acropolis on a massive rock within medieval walls, a blaze charred the hillside and buildings.

Thanasis Virinis, a vice mayor of Rhodes, told Mega television on Sunday that between 4,000 and 5,000 people were in temporary accommodation, calling for donations of essentials such as mattresses and bedclothes.

Among the nationalities of tourists affected on Rhodes were French, Dutch and Germans, as well as Britons.

One hotelier said the island can receive 150,000 visitors at a time in peak season. The resident population of the island is around 125,000.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player1:11

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here

Email: editorial@hicginewsagency.com TalkBusiness@hicginewsagency.com WhatsApp +256713137566

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Estab lishment – Watch video here

Follow us on Social Media , just type “HICGI News Agency”