Brit families' agony as they flee Rhodes wildfires - as Corfu evacuations begin
Frantic British holidaymakers waded into the sea to flee infernos gripping Rhodes as hotels burned down and firefighters desperately tried to stop the flames spreading.
Others, many with children and dressed only in beachwear, had to walk miles in scorching heat after being evacuated from popular resorts.
Families today told how they had lost everything as the wildfires ripped through the Greek island in scenes described as apocalyptic - as tonight a second Greek island, Corfu, has seen evacuations and danger to life warnings issued.
Around 19,000 people have so far been evacuated as authorities launched the biggest rescue mission in Greece’s history. And with temperatures of 45C forecast, tourists were warned the situation will get worse as stretched firefighters struggle to cope.
Pine trees burning in a wildfire on the Greek island of Rhodes (Eurokinissi/AFP via Getty Images)Tourists arrived over the weekend to find hotels destroyed or empty. Jet2 cancelled all flights to Rhodes today but along with easyJet is sending empty planes to rescue Brits.
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On Sunday evening, parts of the Greek island of Corfu were also evacuated as raging wildfires edged nearer resorts, with ten towns and villages placed under urgent evacuation notices.
Frightening images from the north of the island showed a 'mountain of flames' enveloping the Pantokratoras peak above Nisaki. Brit tourists had earlier said that conditions were so hot on Corfu over the weekend that they could only go outside for 10 minutes at a time.
Firefighters, residents and volunteers are fighting to bring under the blaze under control.
Back in Rhodes, dad-of-four Daniel Jones told how he waded neck-deep into the sea as he fled the flames on Rhodes and tried to get his young family onto a trawler.
Joanna Hughes, her husband Jon Hughes and their daughter Emilia had to walk four miles to escape the wildfires (Chronicle Live)
The family, from Murton, County Durham, had travelled to Rhodes for a holiday (NCJ Media/Joanna Hughes)The 37-year-old was with wife Hannah, 35, and kids, Ethel, two, Oliver, five, Albert, seven and Rupert, nine, still wearing pyjamas after being evacuated from their hotel on Saturday night.
The PE teacher, from Exeter, Devon, said: “It was the scariest moment of my life.”
Joanna Hughes told how her daughter Emilia, five, feared she would die as the flames swept closer to their hotel.
The 35-year-old, of Murton, Co Durham, walked for four miles in thick black smoke to escape the fire with the youngster and husband Jon, 38.
Joanna, who had been staying at Lindos Imperial Resort and Spa in Kiotari on a £3,000 break, said: “It was just like walking in an oven, it was so hot. I couldn’t see at all.
“There were babies wrapped in towels, it was horrific. We were trying to keep ourselves together but Emilia could see that it wasn’t right.
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People evacuated from areas affected by wildfires have been allowed by authorities to stay in Venetokleion sports facility in Rhodes (Intime News/Athena Pictures)“She did say a couple of times, ‘Are we going to die?’ That is something I won’t forget for a long time.”
GP worker Kirstie Hunter, 31, and dental nurse pal Amy Lovell, 29, managed to flee Rhodes on Saturday.
Kirstie said: “We went out on Friday and the air was so hot it was like a hairdryer in your face. Then it started raining ash and there was a glow in the sky like an apocalypse.
“There were helicopters and planes water bombing. It was like something out of a war film.”
Exhausted youngsters following the wildfires (Twitter / @nick_staf)
Kirstie Hunter, 31, and pal Amy Lovell, 29, pictured in their hotel, hours before being evacuatedMichael Stokes, who was on holiday with his two sons, and partner Nicola Foreman, 38, told how they were sitting by the pool as the fire began “lapping at the hotel”. The 38-year-old, from Blackwood, South Wales, said: “We were guided onto the beach through the smoke.
“I had my five-year-old on my shoulders with a wet towel on his head trying to mask him through the smoke. My son and I had to walk for probably 10 miles in blistering heat with no idea where we were going. We’re now at another hotel about 15 miles away. There’s people laid on the floor like an apocalypse movie.”
Nick Stafford told how he fled for four miles on foot with wife Vicki, 40, and children, seven-year-old Emilia and 11-year-old Louis. The 40-year-old, from Leighton Buzzard, Beds, said: “It was apocalyptic and hard work with the kids.
Tourists wait in the airport's departure hall as evacuations are underway (AFP via Getty Images)“Looking ahead was completely dark on the road, but behind us, the full horizon was lit up.”
Amy Leyden escaped her hotel with her autistic son and partner who has asthma. She said they have been sleeping on concrete floors and added: “It was just carnage, everyone was running round, there were children screaming, parents were collapsing.
“I didn’t think any of us would make it out alive until locals picked us up. We’ve lost everything, all of our belongings, our hotel burnt down so everything’s gone.”
“They were still flying people into Rhodes who were immediately taken to schools, to the basement, they didn’t even get to their hotels.
Flames light up the Greek island“Jet2 told us to follow local advice, there was none until the police ran at us and told us, ‘You need to go or you’re not going to make it’ and started chasing us down the road.”
Kevin Evans was evacuated twice with his wife and three children, including a six-month old baby, on Saturday. They were last night stranded in the resort of Gennadi with no accommodation. He said: “There were lots of people sent from hotels, many in just swimsuits having been told to leave everything in the hotel.
“As night fell, we could see the fire on the top of the hills in Kiotari. They said all the hotels were on fire. We left at midnight with the fire very close.”
More than 250 firefighters, helicopters, water-bombers and rescuers are battling the worst blaze Greece has ever experienced.
Tourists are helped onto boats (Lucas Velidakis/Twitter)Families were seen crowded onto pitch black beaches waiting to be rescued by Red Cross boats as the fires lit up the night sky behind them. Six people were taken to hospital with respiratory problems but later released. Some tourists slept on sun loungers while others sheltered in a basketball stadium.
Deputy mayor of Rhodes Athanasios Vyrinis told how many people were sleeping in cardboard boxes and warned there are not enough essentials to go round.
Seven new areas were issued with “extreme fire risks” for Monday.
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