Clémentine Athanasiadis, edited by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: WILL VASSILOPOULOS / AFP
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06:58, July 24, 2023
Since the beginning of the summer season, Greece has been hit by a major heat wave as well as raging fires, and the island of Rhodes is one of the main victims. Faced with the progression of the flames, 30,000 inhabitants and holidaymakers have already been evacuated urgently by all means.
When the holidays turn into a nightmare. This is what thousands of tourists experience in Greece and more precisely those who have chosen the island of Rhodes. While the country is hit hard by the heat wave, the fires are wreaking havoc. Faced with the progression of the flames, 30,000 inhabitants and holidaymakers have already been evacuated urgently by all means, but there are still people. For the occasion, Europe 1 went to Rhodes airport.
“Tired, exhausted, but happy to be back”
On site, families with children, young people and retired couples from Germany, England, Slovakia, France or Italy. They have the same desire: to leave Rhodes as soon as possible. Tourists loaded with suitcases form long lines in front of the check-in counters while others are still waiting for their flight in the departures hall. Some are asleep on chairs made available, others are lying on their beach towel spread out on the ground. Among all these people, Greek volunteers who are active and distribute water, prepared meals or even inflatable mattresses.
Caterina, her husband and their daughter are getting ready to embark for Slovakia. They will long remember their vacation cut short by several days. The mother of the family evokes the ashes flying in the air, a sky enveloped in thick black smoke and their hasty evacuation towards the city of Rhodes. Tested, the family does not hide its relief to leave. “I’m not happy that my vacation lasted three and a half days, but I’m happy to be back. We should have stayed eight days. I’m tired, exhausted but happy to be back,” she rejoices. All night and again this Monday morning, groups of tourists were able to take flights to leave the island in dribs and drabs. We feel in all these people a certain stupefaction and a lot of fatigue.