Fire still blazing on the Greek island of Rhodes as dozens more erupt across the country
CTV
Firefighters were struggling through the night to contain 82 wildfires across Greece, 64 of which started Sunday, the hottest day of the summer so far.
Firefighters were struggling through the night to contain 82 wildfires across Greece, 64 of which started Sunday, the hottest day of the summer so far.
Their ongoing efforts were without the help of firefighting planes and helicopters, which do not operate at night.
The most serious fire is on the island of Rhodes. Some 19,000 people have been evacuated from several locations on Rhodes as wildfires burned for a sixth day, Greek authorities said. No further evacuations have been ordered so far Sunday evening.
The Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection said it was "the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country."
Local police said 16,000 people were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea from 12 villages and several hotels. Six people were briefly treated at a hospital for respiratory problems. A person who fell and broke a leg during a hotel evacuation and a pregnant woman remained hospitalized, the latter in good condition, authorities said.
A number of tourists have been waiting to fly back home from Rhodes International Airport. Package holiday companies TUI and Jet2 cancelled flights to Rhodes.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport later announced that 14 TUI and Jet2 flights carrying 2,700 passengers will depart from Rhodes airport by 3 a.m. Monday (0000 GMT). On Saturday and early Sunday, 70,000 passengers traveled through the airport, with some being arrivals, the ministry said. The announcement did not break down the figures by arrivals and departures.
