Sunday, July 7, 2024

Scots holidaymakers forced to flee hotel amid Greece’s raging wildfires

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SCOTS holidaymakers in Greece were left shaken after they were forced to evacuate due to wildfires.

Infernos have been ripping through parts of the southeast of the country, including the popular islands of Kos and Chios.

Scots holidaymakers have been caught up in the wildfires in Greece

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Scots holidaymakers have been caught up in the wildfires in GreeceCredit: Reuters
Plumes of smoke have been spreading across swathes of the island of Kos

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Plumes of smoke have been spreading across swathes of the island of KosCredit: Reuters

Authorities have been battling the life-threatening outbreaks with helicopters and planes dousing flames amid soaring summer temperatures.

Chelsea Dick, from Glenrothes, Fife, and her boyfriend Kaiden Mackenzie were enjoying a holiday in Kos.

But the couple’s sunshine break was thrown into turmoil as “severe” wildfires approached their accommodation.

Last night, Chelsea, 18, and Kaiden had to flee the village they were staying in.

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, she said: “Me and my boyfriend were swimming in the sea yesterday morning when we saw this helicopter coming over to pick up water.

“We didn’t know anything about it, but when we got out the sea we saw a massive cloud of smoke which covered the sun. It made everything look orange.

“Then we got an alert on our phone after that saying it was ‘severe’ and we needed to exit the village.

“There was ash everywhere as well. I was very, very scared and nervous but there was nothing I could do.”

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The young tourists returned to their hotel where they packed their bags, before being relocated to a nearby village.

Chelsea added: “I had no idea this would happen here.

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“I asked some of the locals and they said it had been roughly 12 years since they had their last wildfire.”

Yesterday, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said his country faced a “particularly dangerous” summer due to the threat from wildfires, as reported by Reuters.

Hot, dry and windy conditions have led to dozens of incidents over the weekend, including two close to Athens.

In Kos, some tourists and locals took refuge at a football field yesterday.

Last year, holidaymakers in Rhodes had to flee raging wildfires as vast plumes of black smoke filled the air.

One tourist from East Kilbride told how their hotel “burned to the ground”.

People gathered at a football field following wildfires around the island of Kos

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People gathered at a football field following wildfires around the island of KosCredit: Reuters

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