Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Maryam Zakir-Hussain,Stuti Mishra,Andy Gregory,Martha McHardy and Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Greece fires – live: Red alert for Crete as British tourists in ‘living nightmare’ on Rhodes and Corfu

AP

Watch: Aerial shots of devastation from wildfires on Greek island of Rhodes

Thousands have fled Rhodes and Corfu as wildfires ravage Greece, while the Sicilian capital’s airport has been forced to close due to a blaze.

Some 20,000 people had to leave homes and hotels in Rhodes over the weekend as the inferno that began a week ago spread, while over 2,000 holidaymakers returned home by plane on Monday, and more repatriation flights were expected on Tuesday.

After the blaze in Rhodes prompted “the biggest evacuation” in Greek history, Crete is at “extreme risk” of raging wildfires, while around 2,500 people have already been evacuated from Corfu, which has been enduring dozens of blazes.

Wildfires also forced the closure of Palermo airport in Sicily on Tuesday as extreme weather including severe storms continued to batter Italy.

The airport in the Sicilian capital would remain shut until 9am (GMT), its operator said on Twitter, as firefighters were working to put out a major blaze in a nearby area that also disrupted local road and rail traffic.

Two women were killed on Monday and Tuesday in the northern Monza and Brescia provinces after being crushed by falling trees.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.