Greece’s prime minister warned on Monday that this year’s forest fires could be worse than ever. It is both very hot and dry in the country, at the same time as climate change means that it burns stronger and more often.
On Monday evening, a total of 200 of the travel companies Apollos, Tuis and Ving’s Swedish guests were evacuated from their hotels in Kardamena on Kos. The reason was precisely the intensified fires. Sam Nelleros is one of those who received word about evacuation late in the evening.
– We were notified that we were to be evacuated, but in the end it turned out that it was not necessary. But me, my wife and my child have hardly slept all night, he says.
Apollo: Awaiting forecast
Sam Nelleros describes how he saw the fires up close. During Tuesday morning, however, they seem to have decreased in strength, and at the moment Sam Nelleros and his family are still in their hotel and have not had to be evacuated.
But several other Swedish travelers had to leave their hotels late in the evening. The travel company Apollo evacuated 60 Swedes who, after spending several hours at a designated evacuation site, have now been accommodated in new hotels.
– Those hotels are not close to the affected area. Right now we are awaiting the status of the fire and a forecast for how it will develop, says Martina Krantz, press officer at Apollo.
Greek media reports that the fires in Kardamena are increasingly under control. The travel company Tui also told Aftonbladet this morning that it will transport its 50 evacuated guests back to their original hotel.
“Sad and worried”
She also says that from Apollo’s side they follow the Package Travel Act and that they should come back if affected travelers are entitled to some kind of compensation.
Swedish Sam Nelleros says that he finds the situation very worrying.
– It’s a holiday and when things like this happen you get sad and worried. Especially in such a beautiful area with such nice people.