Greece: 30,000 people evacuated as wildfires ravage Rhodes

More than 30,000 people were evacuated to safety from the raging fires on the Greek island of Rhodes, including 2,000 by boat.

The governor of the South Aegean region, George Hadzimarkos, told Skai TV that the operation, which was still under way, had been hampered by fires that had blocked some roads. "The aim is to protect lives," he said.

Tourists and some residents were also taken to gyms, schools and conference centers of hotels on the island where they will spend the night while firefighters battle the blaze.

The Athens News Agency reported that three passenger ferries docked at the port of Rhodes to house some of the evacuees.

The head of the village council of Archangelos Panayotis Demelis told Sky TV that many residents rushed to help the tourists, adding, "It is a situation that the island has not seen before."

Firefighters are still trying to control the flames on the island. The deputy head of the fire department, Yannis Artopios, said the fire that broke out in Rhodes on a mountain in the center of the island was the most severe his teams had faced.