No deaths yet… 8 people were taken to the hospital
Wildfire extinguishing difficulties… Wildfire red alert issued in 13 regions
[로도스섬(그리스)=AP/뉴시스] A man evacuates with his baby in Rhodes Island, southeastern Greece, where forest fires are spreading on the 22nd (local time). As the forest fire spread for the fifth day, 30,000 residents and tourists were evacuated. 2023.07.23
[서울=뉴시스] Reporter Moon Ye-seong = As forest fires that broke out on the island of Rhodes in southeast Greece spread for the fifth day, it is known that 30,000 people, including tourists and local residents, were evacuated in an emergency.
According to AFP on the 22nd, local officials on the island of Rhodes said that about 30,000 people had been evacuated to a safe place amidst the threat of wildfires.
The wildfires in Rhodes started on the 18th and spread rapidly, making it the largest forest fire in Greece in recent years.
The Rhodes Hotel Association reported on the 22nd that about 10,000 tourists were safely evacuated to northern Rhodes Island by bus, on foot or by boat.
The Greek Coast Guard deployed 4 boats and 20 civilian vessels for the evacuation. About 2,000 people were evacuated on these ships.
According to firefighting authorities, no deaths have been confirmed so far, but eight people have been taken to hospitals for respiratory problems and treated.
In particular, it is known that evacuation work is difficult as access to some roads is blocked due to forest fires.
With road access blocked, some tourists had to travel on foot.
The fire department tried to extinguish the fire with 5 helicopters and 200 firefighters, but the forest fire is still not caught.
The fire has spread to nearby Kiotari and Lardos, not far from the ancient ruins of Lindos.
The Greek Civil Protection Agency issued a red alert for forest fires in 13 regions, including Attica, where the capital Athens is located.
In the midst of this, the heat wave continues in Greece. Amid the heatwave, authorities adjusted the operating hours of popular tourist attractions, including the Acropolis.
It is predicted that this heatwave will be the longest on record in Greece.
Costas Lagovardos, director of the National Astronomical Observatory in Athens, told CNN, “This time we’ll probably have to endure 15 or 16 days of extreme heat, which has never happened before.” “The longest heat wave Greece has ever experienced was one that lasted for 12 July 1987,” he added.
Director Lagovardos predicted that “the record for the highest temperature in Athens will be broken this time.” The highest recorded so far is 44.8 degrees in June 2007.
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