19,000 people evacuated in Greece as wildfire blazes on Rhodes island

Nearly 19,000 people have been evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes as wildfires burned for a sixth day on three fronts, Greek authorities said.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection said it was “the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country".

The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that personnel were on their way to Rhodes to set up a help desk at the Rhodes International Airport for visitors who have lost their travel documents, Associated Press reported

Local police said 16,000 people were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea from 12 villages and several hotels. Six people were briefly treated at a hospital for respiratory problems.

A person who fell and broke a leg during a hotel evacuation and a pregnant woman remained hospitalised, the latter in good condition, authorities added.

Fire Brigade spokesman Yannis Artopios said that as of early Sunday afternoon, 266 firefighters and 49 engines were operating on the ground, together with hundreds of volunteers, Associated Press reported.

Ten firefighting planes, including two from France, two from Turkey and one from Croatia, are operating in the area, as well as eight helicopters.

The British ambassador to Greece, Matthew Lodge, said the UK government was sending a rapid deployment team to support British nationals on Rhodes.