Brussels-Athens: Europe and the Arabs
While wildfires are still raging in Rhodes, others have broken out on the Greek islands of Corfu and Evia. Nearly 2,500 tourists were evacuated from the islands Sunday night, a fire brigade spokesman said. So far, no homes or hotels have been destroyed. The Belgian news agency reported in Brussels on Monday
A fire broke out on Sunday evening in the northern part of Corfu, a popular holiday destination. According to Agence France-Presse, the first evacuations of holidaymakers began in Corfu on Sunday evening. Tourists and residents of 12 towns on Corfu have been urged to evacuate, according to the Greek News Agency. In the small coastal town of Nisaki, in the northeast of Corfu, the coast guard is evacuating people from the beach.
In Evia, an island in the Aegean Sea off the eastern coast of Attica, five villages were evacuated on Sunday due to a forest fire fanned by strong winds, according to local emergency services.
A major forest fire has been raging in Rhodes for nearly a week. More than 19,000 tourists have already been brought to safety.
The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Belgian Federal Public Service has updated travel advice for Greece. Travelers are advised to "carefully follow the instructions of local authorities" and to be mindful of possible new fires due to the ongoing heat.