More than twenty boats took part, on Saturday July 22, in an evacuation operation on the tourist island of Rhodes, in Greece, where a forest fire broke out five days ago. According to the Greek coastguard, the evacuees were on the beaches of Kiotari and Lardos, on the east coast of this Mediterranean island.
Three coastguard boats were carrying out this operation, which involved more than twenty private boats, while a Greek navy vessel was heading towards the area. About a thousand people have already been evacuated to another beach, according to media reports.
Above, tweet from a Greek journalist: “Scenes of Chaos in Rhodes. »
Above, tweet from a British tourist: “We had to walk 6 kilometers on dirt roads in smoke and ashes, with a 5-year-old child. Without help or contact. »
Firefighters had to take refuge in the monastery of Panagia Ipseni, near Lardos, according to the television channel ERT. The firefighters and their commander were stuck there, after trying to convince the nuns who were there to leave.
Deputy Fire Chief Yannis Artapoios said the blaze, which started in a mountain in the center of the island, is the most difficult firefighters in Rhodes have faced. Five helicopters and 173 firefighters are engaged to fight the fire. Three hotels in the Kiotari sector suffered damage.
“Probably” the longest heat wave
Greece is currently experiencing an exceptionally long heat wave, with temperatures expected to rise above 44 degrees this weekend. “According to our data, we are likely to experience a sixteen to seventeen day heat wave, which has never happened before in our country”Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the National Observatory in Athens, told the television.
In Greece, all archaeological sites, including the famous Acropolis in Athens, will continue to keep their doors closed during the hottest hours until Sunday. “We need absolute vigilance (…) because the difficult times have not passed”warned the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “We are facing a new heat wave” and to “a possible strengthening of the winds” who have already been stoking several fires around the capital since Monday, he added.
Temperatures of up to 45 degrees are expected for Saturday in central Greece. According to the National Observatory of Athens, the absolute record in the capital was recorded in June 2007, with 44.8 degrees. Nationally, it was established in July 1977 with 48 degrees in Eleusis, near Athens.