GET OFF THE ISLAND

Thousands of Tourists Evacuate Greek Island Rhodes Amid Fiery Blaze

More than 10,000 tourists visiting the Greek island have started evacuating via the sea as wildfires burn across the east side.

Thousands of tourists and locals are being evacuated from the island of Rhodes, Greece’s fire service has reported. As wildfires spread on the island, around 10,000 tourists from a dozen hotels and 2,000 other individuals have been rescued by sea. Private boats have joined the Greek coast guard in an attempt to pick up people on beaches on the island’s east side. No injuries have been reported at this time, per the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection in Greece. One British tourist said she, her sister, and her daughter were evacuated from their hotel, but reported that they are now being held on a beach with hundreds of others in severe heat. “There’s a small shack here and there’s so many of us,” Becky Mulligan told the BBC. “There’s children, it’s the middle of the day, we are just stuck here with no help, it’s disgusting.” Five helicopters and 173 firefighters have been sent to operate in the area, with Greek navy vessels heading to the area to provide relief for the tourists and other folks on the island.