British tourists were among more than 2,000 people ferried to safety from beaches after wildfires swept across the Greek island of Rhodes.
The coastguard, army and more than 30 private boats were working to rescue swathes of people from the south-eastern part of the island, with a navy ship also dispatched to join the evacuation effort.
According to the Greek coastguard, people were being picked up from Kiotari and Lardos beaches on the east of the popular Mediterranean island.
The operation had been hampered by fires cutting off some road access, according to George Hadjimarkos, regional governor of the South Aegean, leaving some tourists to travel to safety on foot.
They are being looked after in local gyms and schools, as well as three passenger ferries moored at the port of Rhodes.
Videos showed crowds of tourists walking away from billowing, black smoke as flames burnt through buildings and vegetation behind them, with some pushing prams carrying small children.
Sarah Roberts, 45, from Southampton, said she could see the flames “lapping the hills” as they fled the five-star Mitsis Rodos Village Beach Hotel and Spa on Saturday.
Abandoning their possessions at the hotel, she and her mother, 78 – who has COPD – along with her two children, aged nine and six, and her partner Chris were among the crowds walking to safety.
She told The Telegraph: “People were still trying to take their suitcases along the beach, it was horrendous and stupid to see.
“There was one tourist boat with one guy trying to board women and children but men were barging past and arguing, delaying the effort. It was horrific.
“There was no point waiting for a boat as there were few in sight, all the time we heard sirens and saw the flames and smoke getting worse.”
The family managed to escape when a hotel waiter drove them to a hotel where other tourists were stranded.
Others caught up in the evacuation described a “terrifying situation”.
Paul Karlburgi wrote on Twitter:
Currently stranded in #Rhodes escaping the wildfires on foot - left everything at the hotel and fled with towels across our faces. My youngest just told me he doesn’t want to die. No news from any authorities. Terrifying situation here. @LBCNews
— Paul Kalburgi ✍🏼 (@PaulKalburgi) July 22, 2023
Some of those seeking rescue had been unable to contact their airlines and missed their flights.
British tourists criticised the response from Jet2, which sells flights and package holidays to the destination.
Jon Hayes shared a clip of crowds evacuating the area on Twitter, writing: “Jet2 where are you? No help, contact or guidance. Had to walk 4 mile in the heat across dirt tracks in smoke and ash with a 5 year old. No possessions”.
Meanwhile, Ian Edwards posted a video of his son walking away from the fire. He said: “No help at all from Jet2”.
A Jet2 spokesperson said their “in-resort teams are working tirelessly to comply with the guidance of local authorities” and it has a dedicated team set up in the UK to help customers.
According to local authorities, a total of 30,000 people were taken away from the evacuated areas.
The blaze, which has been burning since Tuesday, has now damaged three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari, according to the Athens News Agency.
The fire has burnt through swathes of forest since breaking out in a mountainous area. Aided by winds, high temperatures and dry conditions, it spread toward the coast on the island’s central-eastern side.
Already 11 days into its heatwave, Greece’s national weather institute warned reprieve was still days away, setting this up to be the longest hot spell the country has ever seen.
The previous heatwave record in Greece was set in 1987, when scorching temperatures of over 39C (102.2F) lasted 11 days.