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Wildfire on Greek island of Rhodes forces mass evacuations

Coastguard vessels and more than 30 private boats evacuated at least 2,000 people, including tourists.

A burnt hotel is seen during a wildfire on the island of Rhodes, — A burned hotel is seen on the island of Rhodes. [Argiris Mantikos/Eurokinissi via Reuters]

By News Agencies

A wildfire which has been raging on the Greek island of Rhodes for five days forced hundreds of people to flee affected villages and beaches by land and sea on Saturday, authorities said.

Coastguard vessels and more than 30 private boats evacuated at least 2,000 people, including tourists, from beaches close to the areas of Kiotari and Lardos in the southeastern part of the island, coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told Skai television.

He said an operation was ongoing to evacuate about 600 people from beaches in Kiotari and Gennadi towards Plimmiri.

Authorities have also urged about 1,000 people to leave the villages of Pefki, Lindos and Kalathos as flames approached, fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.

Those evacuated are being housed at an indoor stadium and at hotels on the island, Taraslias said. Three passenger ferries will also host tourists during the night, the coastguard said.

The fire has scorched swaths of dense forest since breaking out in a mountainous area on Tuesday. It damaged at least three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari on Saturday, according to the Athens News Agency.

Civil protection authorities have warned of a very high risk of wildfires on Rhodes and many other areas in Greece on Sunday, as temperatures were expected to hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) amid a heatwave.

Senior government officials will travel to Rhodes to assist in the situation. The Greek foreign ministry activated its crisis management unit to offer assistance to foreigners who want to leave the country, it said on Saturday.

Fires are common in Greece but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the country into a wildfire hotspot in recent years. Meteorologists have warned that the current sweltering temperatures are expected to last until the end of the month.

Firefighters operate near a wildfire on the island of Rhodes, — The wildfire has been raging on the Greek island of Rhodes for five days, forcing hundreds of people to flee affected villages. [Argiris Mantikos/Eurokinissi via Reuters]

Tourists sit in the back of an open air lorry as they are evacuated — Tourists sit in the back of a truck as they are evacuated during wildfires on the island of Rhodes. [Eurokinissi via AFP]

Tourists are being evacuated as wildfire burns near Lindos — Three coastguard vessels, an army lifeboat, a special forces inflatable craft and 30 private sailboats helped with the evacuation. [Lefteris Diamandis/Reuters]

A wildfire burns in a forest near Lardos — Wildfire burns in a forest near Lardos. [Vassilis Ikoutas/Reuters]

A firefighting helicopter drops water over a wildfire burning near Lindos — Fire department spokesman Yannis Artopios said more than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines were operating on the ground, assisted by three planes and five helicopters. [Lefteris Damianidis/Reuters]

Firefighters are seen near a wildfire on the island of Rhodes — The firefighting force includes 31 firefighters from Slovakia, with five fire engines. [Argiris Mantikos/Eurokinissi via Reuters]

A wildfire burns next to a beach near Lindos, — A wildfire burns next to a beach near Lindos. Local media reported the fires reached three hotels, whose clients had already been evacuated. [Lefteris Damianidis/Reuters]

A man walks on a road, as wildfire burns near Lardos — Strong winds forecast were expected to hamper firefighters' battle to contain a blaze burning out of control on the island of Rhodes. [Vassilis Ikoutas/Reuters]

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