Clementine Athanasiadis // Photo credit: Damianidis Eleftherios / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP
The Greek island of Rhodes continues to be ravaged by flames. While thousands of tourists have had to be evacuated, the inhabitants watch helplessly as their island is gradually devoured by fires. An ecological disaster, but also an economic one, underline the traders of the region.
It is a plume of smoke visible from space. The fire ravaging the island of Rhodes continues to progress. The Greek Island is practically cut in two by a huge gash on the ground, while the rescue services have continued to be active for a week.
“We are worried”
So, this early Monday evening, these three Greeks came to enjoy the wind blowing over the medieval city of Rhodes. Sitting on a bench under a huge ficus tree, they talk about the fires that have been ravaging the island where they grew up for a week. The friends regularly visited the coastal villages affected by the flames. “When you see all your lights, you’re worried. Last night, I watched television and I couldn’t sleep because of anxiety. We’ve already had fires for a few days, but so many days in a row, never, “says a resident of the neighborhood.
Around, in the cobbled streets, tourists from France, Poland, England or even Germany flock to the restaurants and souvenir shops. In this busy area, Vaggelis runs a jewelry store. For him, the fires are above all an ecological disaster, but also in the long term, economic.
A burning country
“The most beautiful places on the island are affected. The consequences of these fires will have an impact on the next tourists, because all these places are in ashes. It will take several years for everything to return to how it was before”, he regrets at the microphone of Europe 1.
This Tuesday, the situation remains very difficult for firefighters and volunteers. They are doing everything to fight against the progression of the flames which are devouring different places on the island. And the rest of the country is not spared, since nearly 70 fire starts have been recorded throughout Greece.