 Airlines are ramping up efforts to evacuate holidaymakers from Greek islands, as blistering heat makes life miserable for Brits forced from their hotels by out-of-control wildfires. Both Rhodes and Corfu continue to be affected by the raging blazes, which sprang up after days of extreme temperatures dried up the landscape. Greek firefighters called in reinforcements of planes and helicopters from countries including Croatia, Turkey and Egypt as they aimed to tackle the flames from the air. During a debate in parliament, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told his colleagues: 'We are at war – completely focused on the fires.' One element of that war is the large-scale evacuation effort of tourists who have had to flee their accommodation as it was surrounded by flames. Many of them painted a scene of chaos and terror, compounded by a lack of co-ordination. Nicola Ellerbeck, who was on holiday on Rhodes with her husband and two children, told Metro.co.uk: 'We were trying to keep calm for the sake of the kids but when the hotel staff told us to put on our facemasks and cover our mouths with towels, it felt extremely worrying. 'We could see the trees and sun loungers outside our room burning and heavy smoke damage around the hotel and everyone was panicking. 'It was as though we were in a living nightmare.' Tourists on Rhodes line up to take coaches away from their accommodation as fires light up the sky (Picture: AP) Nicola Ellerbeck's husband Matthew and children eight-year-old Harry and Millie, 6, were among those unable to sleep in their beds (Picture: Nicola Ellerbeck) Carli Beary's hotel on Rhodes was used to host other tourists who had been told to leave the places they had been staying for their own safety. She said: 'We were then told over 200 people would be arriving. Our hotel was full to capacity already, but the local staff have been amazing, helping){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Airlines are ramping up efforts to evacuate holidaymakers from Greek islands, as blistering heat makes life miserable for Brits forced from their hotels by out-of-control wildfires.
Both Rhodes and Corfu continue to be affected by the raging blazes, which sprang up after days of extreme temperatures dried up the landscape.
Greek firefighters called in reinforcements of planes and helicopters from countries including Croatia, Turkey and Egypt as they aimed to tackle the flames from the air.
During a debate in parliament, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told his colleagues: ‘We are at war – completely focused on the fires.’