Thousands of tourists are evacuated due to a huge fire on the Greek island of Rhodes

Thousands of tourists have been evacuated this Saturday on the Greek island of Rhodes due to a large out-of-control forest fire and have been transferred by boats to other safe places on the island.

So far, more than 2,500 tourists have been evacuated with boats from Kiotari and Lardos beach, on the island's eastern coast, Coast Guard spokesman Nikos Alexíu told private SKAI television.

Due to the fire, at least seven towns in the center and the eastern coast have had to be evacuated, since the fire has a front of at least 25 kilometers.

In total, at least 30,000 people have had to be displaced and, when the evacuation order was given this Saturday afternoon, some 8,000 tourists were in the area.

The flames have caused damage to at least three hotels and have already reached the town of Laerma, in the center of the island, where houses have been burned, local media report.

In images released by the Greek media, you can see how tourists are transferred in vehicles to the evacuation points on the beach.

Videos posted on social networks show lines of several kilometers of tourists who, suitcases in hand, walk to nearby beaches to be evacuated.

All flights from Rhodes are full, so thousands of tourists cannot leave the island by plane, News247 reports.

The Rhodes Port Authority decided to requisition all tourist boats in the area to help in the evacuation operation, while a Navy ship has also been deployed in the area.

Eight people with mild respiratory problems had to be treated in ambulances. According to Civil Protection, tourists are being evacuated complying with the necessary security measures and so far no injuries have been reported.

The fire has burned thousands of hectares of virgin forest and this Saturday it spread from the center of the island to the eastern coast.

Greece is experiencing a wave of extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 44 degrees today in central Greece, while tomorrow, Sunday, thermometers are expected to reach 45 degrees.