Palermo airport closed due to raging fire
Crete is at ‘extreme risk’ of raging wildfires as local authorities warn the island is next to be ravaged by blazes that spread across Greece.
It comes amid fears that up to 10,000 British tourists are on the burnt-out Greek island of Rhodes, a minister has warned. A holidaymaker who arrived to find his hotel burned down called the situation a “living nightmare”.
About 2,500 people have already been evacuated from Corfu, said fire officials, who are experiencing dozens of wildfires, after the Rhodes blaze prompted “the biggest evacuation” in Greek history.
Footage showed flames engulfing Corfu as smoke and orange haze covered the night sky. The fire broke out in the northern part of the island, popular with British tourists. Those in Santa, Megoula, Porta, Palia Perithia and Sinies were ordered to evacuate to Kasiopi.
The evacuation order came after Jet2 and Tui canceled all flights to Rhodes until Friday July 28.
Fires that have been burning since Wednesday in Rhodes forced the evacuation of 19,000 people over the weekend as hell engulfed resorts on the island’s southeast coast.
Watch: Palermo airport closed due to raging forest fire
Palermo airport closed due to raging fire
Tara CobhamJuly 25, 2023 7:24 a.m.
Passenger recounts time spent in Rhodes as hundreds return to UK
Passenger recounts time spent in Rhodes as hundreds return to UK after wildfires in Greece
Alisha Rahaman SarkarJuly 25, 2023 7:20 a.m.
Palermo airport closed due to fire
Palermo International Airport was closed overnight after a forest fire raged around its perimeter. Temperatures in Palermo hit a record 47C on Monday.
Wildfires have spread across Sicily due to dry weather as Europe battles a severe heat wave this summer.
Firefighters on Monday deployed helicopters and a Canadair firefighting plane to dump water in parts of Sicily to bring the blaze under control.
Alisha Rahaman SarkarJuly 25, 2023 06:40
Where are the fires in Corfu and Rhodes?
Thousands of people have been evacuated from towns and villages across Greece after wildfires tore through the country.
Videos of roaring fires and towering black smoke have circulated online from Rhodes and Corfu. However, forest fires broke out in several regions, including Evia and the Peloponnese region.
The maps show the areas of Rhodes affected by the raging forest fires:
Alisha Rahaman SarkarJuly 25, 2023 06:20
Forest fires kill 25 in Algeria
Multiple wildfires in Algeria have killed at least 25 people, including 10 soldiers trying to bring the flames under control.
At least 1,500 people were evacuated as wildfires moved through forests and agricultural areas in 16 regions of the North African country, the interior ministry said.
The largest and deadliest fires have ravaged parts of Bejaia and Jijel in the Kabyle region east of Algiers and Bouire, located nearly 100 km southeast of Algiers.
Alisha Rahaman SarkarJuly 25, 2023 06:00
Watch: Greece’s wildfires as seen from the International Space Station
Fires in Greece as seen from the International Space Station
Alisha Rahaman SarkarJuly 25, 2023 05:30
“We saw flames coming over the hills,” says a British tourist
Ian Murison, a London businessman on holiday in southern Rhodes with his wife and 12-year-old son, described his family’s ordeal as they tried to escape the fires. “We saw flames coming over the hills,” he told The Associated Press.
“Our hotel had a capacity of 1,200 (people), but there was only one bus waiting. We all picked up our suitcases and started walking. It was about 3 km before we came out from under the ash cloud.
The family reached a nearby beach, where they waited – in the dark due to a power outage – with thousands of other people to be evacuated by bus or boat.
“You could see an orange glow in the sky and there were more and more big balls of fire in the sky,” Mr Murison said, describing chaotic scenes as evacuees crowded to board small boats arriving to take them away.
“It didn’t matter if you had kids, the adults would fight to get through next,” he said. “It was very, very stressful.”
Alisha Rahaman SarkarJuly 25, 2023 05:00
Satellite images show the spread of a forest fire on the island of Rhodes between July 20 and 23
Satellite images show the spread of a forest fire in Rhodes, Greece, between July 20 and 23
(Planet Labs PBC)
Alisha Rahaman SarkarJuly 25, 2023 4:25 a.m.
Watch: Rhodes tourists awaiting evacuation sleep on airport floor
Greece wildfires: Rhodes tourists awaiting evacuation sleep on airport floor
Martha MchardyJuly 25, 2023 04:00
‘We are at war,’ Greek PM tells MPs
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis yesterday announced ‘we are at war’ and ‘completely focused on the fires’ as wildfires continue to burn parts of Rhodes, forcing more evacuations from the resort island.
“Over the coming days and weeks, we must remain on constant alert,” the prime minister said during a debate in parliament.
“The climate crisis is already here.”
Alisha Rahaman SarkarJuly 25, 2023 03:52
