Unprecedented Wildfire on Rhodes Island, Greece... 30,000 Evacuated

Wildfire Evacuation Video Circulating on SNS
[Image Source=Reuters Yonhap News]

A wildfire spread on the southeastern Greek island of Rodos, forcing 30,000 residents and tourists to evacuate.

The Rodos Hotel Association announced that about 10,000 tourists safely evacuated to the northern part of Rodos Island by bus, on foot, or by boat. According to the association, tourists staying at hotels under evacuation orders accounted for about 10% of all tourists on the island.

The evacuation involved four rescue boats from the Greek Coast Guard and dozens of private vessels, transporting around 2,000 people. Local authorities reported that the evacuated tourists and residents are expected to stay overnight in gyms, schools, and passenger ships. No casualties have been confirmed so far, but eight people were reportedly hospitalized due to respiratory issues.

In particular, some roads were blocked by the wildfire, causing difficulties in the evacuation process. Local broadcasts showed numerous tourists evacuating in lines, pulling their suitcases amid flames, smoke, and extreme heat. A village council official said many residents are helping tourists and described the situation as "unprecedented on this island."

Five helicopters and over 200 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire, but the wildfire remains uncontrolled. Local authorities explained that the fire grew larger in the morning as the wind direction changed, spreading to tourist areas several kilometers away. The wildfire is uncontrollably expanding in central Laerma and eastern Lardos, with houses, churches, and hotels burning. The ancient ruins of Lindos are also under threat from the fire.

The Rodos Island wildfire began on the 18th and has swept through the central and southern parts of the island, becoming the largest wildfire among those recently hitting Greece. The Greek Civil Protection Agency issued a red alert for wildfires in 13 regions, including the Attica area where Athens is located.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.