Nightmare blazes ravaging Rhodes spark the largest evacuation of its kind in Greek history with 19,000 fleeing from villages and hotels – as one brigade chief signals arrests are imminent, remarking ‘Fires are set by human hands’
- READ MORE: British mothers reveal horrifying escape from the Rhodes wildfires
The Rhodes wildfire nightmare has become the largest fire evacuation in Greek history – as 19,000 people have been forced to flee from villages and hotels.
Holiday firms TUI and Jet2 have cancelled all flights to Rhodes as the popular holiday destination has been gripped by wildfires, forcing thousands of tourists to flee.
Greece has issued warnings over ‘extreme fire risks’ in the areas of Attica, Evia, Boeotia, Corinthia, Ilia, Argolis, Messinia and Rhodes.
But some firefighters believe the fires engulfing the island – which began five days ago – may have been started on purpose, stating ‘fires are set by human hands.’
Vassilis Vathrakogiannis from the Rhodes Fire Department told The Mirror: ‘Fires are set by human hands.
Flames rise during a forest fire on the island of Rhodes, Greece – as the wildfire nightmare has become the largest evacuation in Greek history
Tourists are sheltered in a sports hall after being evacuated following a wildfire on the island of Rhodes, Greece
A satellite image shows the devastation caused by the wildfires on the charred Greek island
‘Whether it is due to negligence or fraud will be seen (but) people have been summoned for statements and others will be summoned.
READ MORE: British families’ Rhodes nightmare: Honeymooners’ first night on holiday spent on mattress OUTSIDE amid inferno
‘As soon as we have complete information – because the investigation is in full swing, we will make announcements.’
People have been crammed into makeshift evacuation centres without water, food or showers as the terrifying wildfires rage on.
Others have been forced to watch on in horror as their homes have gone up in flames.
The Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection said it was ‘the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country.’
So far, the total number of people evacuated or redirected due to the fires has reached 19,000, according to the Greek government.
And the problem may only get worse as high winds are expected amid 45C heat, which will make it more difficult for firefighters to tackle the blaze.
An almost empty flight to Rhodes. Easyjet and Ryanair are still allowing Brits to travel to the fire-ravaged island
People are sleeping on the floor in the airport and at evacuation centres as they flee the fires
Tourists play cards as they wait in the airport’s departure hall as evacuations are underway due to wildfires, on the Greek island of Rhodes
Tourists wait in the airport’s departure hall as evacuations are underway due to wildfires
Tourists are sheltered in a stadium after being evacuated following a wildfire on the island of Rhodes
Tourists who want to leave the island are desperately making their way to its airport, with empty flights being sent in to get Brits out
Of that number, 16,000 people were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea.
A spokesperson told Sky News: ‘It has been the largest evacuation ever [In Greece] in a fire with coordinated mobilisation of all resources.’
As resorts have reportedly been engulfed by flames, sports halls, schools and hotels which are away from the worst of the fires have been turned into refuge centres.
Thousands of tourists have been forced to camp on futons and deck chair cushions in halls without aircon and even outside in the baking heat.
Members of the coastguard, the armed forces and local authority workers used dozens of buses to help move people away from the fires, said Rhodes municipality official Teris Hatziioannou.
Newlywed Andrew Brittan, 27, and his wife Emily, traveled from Birmingham to Rhodes for their honeymoon yesterday, unaware that it would become a holiday from hell.
‘The first night of my honeymoon was spent on a mattress outside,’ he told MailOnline from a packed refuge centre.
Generous locals have been donating mattresses, water and fruit and snacks to the terrified stranded tourists.
As holiday providers are rushing to get Brits out of the fire-ravaged island, Jet2 says: ‘We ask any customers in affected areas to follow the advice of the local authorities, or their hoteliers who will be acting under the advice of the authorities.
Brits crammed in a hotel away from the fires have been forced to sleep on sun lounger cushions outside as they flee the fires
Smoke rises into the sky as wildfires head towards the Princess Sun Hotel in Rhodes
‘Those due to travel will receive a full refund and an opportunity to rebook, the company says.
‘We will fly those five aircraft to Rhodes with no customers onboard, so that we can bring customers back to the UK on their scheduled flight.’
Easyjet said in a statement: ‘We are currently operating as normal to Rhodes however we continue to closely monitor the situation. We advise customers travelling to and from Rhodes to check the status of their flights on Flight Tracker.
‘Easyjet is currently working to comply with requests of the local authorities, and is in contact with customers in resort to support them. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority.’
They added that any customers who are booked to travel to or from the island until 29 July can transfer for free to another date or can request a flight voucher.
TUI spokesperson Linda Jonczyk told AFP: ‘Until Tuesday, no more new tourists will be flown’, adding that empty planes were still being flown in to help evacuate the thousands of tourists affected.
Will Rhodes tourists get compensation?
Consumer charity Which? has said it it would be ‘unconscionable’ for airlines not to refund tourists who decide against flying to fire-ravaged Rhodes.
The comments by Which? Travel editor Rory Boland came after easyJet confirmed it was operating flights to the Greek island as normal, while fellow travel firms Jet2 and Tui suspended their trips and refunded their customers.
He encouraged more airlines to be ‘flexible’ should customers decide not to travel due to the six-day blaze.
Mr Boland said: ‘It’s likely that those who are due to go to Rhodes now won’t want to go, and given the emergency operations that are taking place on the island, local authorities could probably do without more tourists arriving.
‘While there is no official Foreign Office advice against travel to Rhodes, it would be unconscionable for holiday companies to cash in on travellers’ sensible decision not to travel by not refunding or rebooking them.’
Meanwhile, an expert warned that tourists whose holidays are disrupted by the blaze or those who choose not to travel are ‘unlikely’ to be covered by their travel insurance.
Louise Clark, policy advisor at the Association of British Insurers, said: ‘Travel insurance is primarily to protect you against what can be incredibly high costs of needing emergency medical treatment overseas, but is unlikely to provide cover if you’re unable to go outside on your holiday because of a wildfire.
‘The primary purpose of travel insurance is to cover the costs of emergency medical treatments or repatriation should the worst happen, which can run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds.
‘It can cover you if you need to cancel or cut short your holiday but it’s likely this will only be under limited circumstances, for example if you or a close family member fall ill, not because of a disinclination to travel.’
Ms Clark added that some insurers provide ‘add-ons’ available to customers at the time they buy their policy which do protect against natural disasters.
Source: PA
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