Clémentine Athanasiadis / Photo credit: Lefty Damian / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP
While Greece is experiencing its hottest summer in fifty years, huge fires are hitting the country. The island of Rhodes is one of the main victims. Nearly 2,000 people were evacuated by sea. An operation carried out by the authorities also using private boats.
In 24 hours, 46 new fires broke out in Greece, where the days now look like a series of apocalyptic scenes. While the thermometer has been showing 45 degrees for several days across the country, the flames are decimating forests and homes. The island of Rhodes, one of the most famous, is particularly affected by these impressive fires where the flames are driven by the winds and sweep huge areas of land.
“What is happening cannot be described in words”
Faced with this chaos, villages were urgently evacuated until late in the evening this Saturday. Residents, seasonal workers, and even vacationers are fleeing by all means the mythical Greek island which is devoured by flames difficult to control, particularly the east coast. “For five days, the situation has been dramatic. And each passing day is worse than the previous one. We don’t know how far it will go. We have experienced fires, but what is happening at the moment cannot be described with words, “testified the city councilor of the island on a national channel.
According to the Greek Coast Guard, around 2,000 people were evacuated by sea by boat by the authorities but also with the help of private boats to carry out these operations. Nevertheless, accommodation solutions had to be found. According to the national press, three passenger ferries have been moored to welcome people. Other people found refuge in hotel rooms or in gymnasiums opened for the occasion. Other regions of Greece are affected by these fires, starting with the capital Athens, placed on maximum alert in the face of the risk of fire.