Several Dutch holidaymakers have fled the forest fires that are raging on the Greek holiday island of Rhodes. They literally had to get out of their feet. “It came awfully close, we started walking through the mountains. It’s really chaotic here.”
In their attempt to escape the fire, which according to one of them was getting closer, people had to leave suitcases and other belongings behind because it was impossible to drag them through the mountainous landscape.
‘Ashes fell from the sky’
Jordi Verwilligen from Almere and his girlfriend Ilse Lima were staying in a hotel resort in the town of Kiotari when they were asked to leave the hotel on Saturday morning and go to the beach.
“We were in the pool and had already seen that coming. It had been gray and gray for a few days and you had smelled a burning smell for some time. Those fires had been going on for a few days, but not yet near us. However, some ash regularly fell from the sky,” says Jordi, who is now taking a breather in a resort about a two-hour walk from his original hotel, which, according to the latest, unconfirmed reports, has now been reached and destroyed by the flames.
In the hotel complex where they are now, Atlantic Ocean Beach, several people have been taken care of, who have been given water and some food after fleeing the fire. “But how to proceed now: we have no idea,” says Jordi.
According to the Almere holidaymaker, who has been on the Greek island since July 15, the crowd of tourists went to walk on the beach when the fire came over the mountains and the treetops caught fire.
“It came awfully close. We decided not to wait and started walking through the mountains. We had our suitcases with us, but one of the wheels broke so that was not an option. I left it at some restaurant in the hope that I can get it back later.”
Some of the tourists who stayed have been taken off the beach by boats. It is unknown whether Dutch people are among them.
Chaos
Exhausted, they arrived at the resort after about two hours. “It is really chaotic here, several people have come here. I don’t think there are many Dutch people in this place, at least I don’t hear that much Dutch.”
“We are happy to be here now, but it is not clear what will happen next. There has been contact with our travel organization Corendon, but many roads on the island have been closed.”
Later the message came that the holidaymakers also have to leave there because the fire is getting close again. Buses are said to be on their way or already there, in which desperate tourists try to get a seat. Families with children would be evacuated first.
Army arrived
The army is also said to have arrived at this resort by now. According to the latest reports, Jordi and his girlfriend, together with a number of other holidaymakers, would be taken care of in a school, but because the fire is now getting so close, the latter does not seem to be happening either.
Corendon reports to have about 200 Dutch people on the island for whom another place is now being sought. It is also being considered whether they can return to the Netherlands. New flights to Rhodes from Schiphol are temporarily suspended.
Most of the tourists who have now fled were in and around Kiotari and Lardos, about 40 kilometers north of the island’s capital.
Previously, only people in the middle of the island had to leave their houses, so now tourists have also been warned to leave.