19 thousand people were evacuated from Rhodes

While the forest fire that started 6 days ago on the island of Rhodes continued to spread unchecked, 19,000 people were reportedly evacuated last night.

In a statement from the Greek Climate Ministry, it was stated that “this evacuation operation is the largest evacuation operation carried out in the country so far.”

The statement indicated that 16,000 people were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea, and no loss of life was reported.

The statement indicated that 9 people with respiratory problems were taken to the hospital.

Authorities increased the fire risk to category 5, which is the highest in the entire eastern part of central and southern Greece, on the islands of Euboea and Rhodes.

The fires, which were initially confined to the mountainous interior of the island, spread to the coastal areas where luxury hotels are located, due to the effect of strong winds, high temperatures and dry air.

The evacuation was difficult as the telephone connection was cut in some parts of the island.

It was reported in the Greek media that the evacuees spent the night in sports halls, schools and conference centers, and many tourists, in a panic, tried to leave the island for Rhodes airport.

To combat the ongoing forest fires in Greece, two amphibious firefighting aircraft and one firefighting helicopter belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry arrived in Athens yesterday morning with a crew of nine, following the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (AA)