Tour operators carried out an unprecedented evacuation, flying more than 2,000 holidaymakers back home on Monday, as wildfires continued to devastate the picturesque island of Rhodes. The Greek government deemed it the largest evacuation ever undertaken in the country’s history.
The severity of the situation prompted additional repatriation flights scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, while the fires continued to spread uncontrollably. The Civil Protection authority issued a high alert for the possibility of further fires erupting in almost every part of Greece, which is currently in the grip of a sweltering heatwave.
Since Wednesday, the wildfires on Rhodes forced a staggering 19,000 people to flee their homes and hotels, with the inferno reaching coastal resorts in the island’s southeast. On another Greek island, Corfu, a wildfire also necessitated evacuations.
Both Rhodes and Corfu, popular tourist destinations, attract visitors primarily from Britain and Germany.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed parliament, urging constant vigilance in the weeks to come and likening the situation to a war. He vowed to rebuild what was lost and compensate those affected by the disaster, while stressing that the climate crisis has already arrived and will lead to more severe catastrophes across the Mediterranean.
The evacuation process was arduous, leaving many tourists spending the night on the floor of Rhodes airport while waiting for repatriation flights. The first flights began departing overnight.
From Sunday until 3 p.m. on Monday (1200 GMT), a total of 2,115 tourists were flown back home on 17 flights, with most returning to Britain, Germany, and Italy, according to the Greek transport ministry. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis described this evacuation as the largest ever undertaken in the country.
Greece frequently faces wildfires during the summer months, but the impact of climate change has led to increasingly extreme heatwaves across southern Europe, raising concerns that tourists may shy away from visiting the region.”
