Holidaymakers 'forced to sleep outside' as Greece wildfires continue

Firefighters in Greece are spending a second day fighting wildfires on the island of Kos.

Hundreds of tourists and residents were forced to flee on Monday as the flames spread amid "apocalyptic" scenes.

Some tourists were forced to take refuge in a football stadium and other venues overnight after the fires and thick black smoke reached costal areas, including the seaside village of Kardamaina.

Holidaymaker Eileen Brown said she arrived at her hotel in the area on Sunday but was soon evacuated and had to sleep outside last night.

She told Sky News there had been "no information from anyone", but added: "Locals and emergency services have been excellent."

Another wrote on social media they felt "abandoned" by their tour operator, adding: "Evacuated from Kardamaina and left to sleep on the floor outside."

Fellow tourist Andrew, from Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, was among those who fled by road as the inferno spread.

He told Sky News: "What was frightening [was] we had a buggy, in flowing traffic, with fires metres away from our open buggy.

"We could see the smoke later from our hotel 15km away. We witnessed many people dropping cigarette ends everywhere, it was bound to happen.

"We did panic slightly back at the hotel, what if the fire reaches us, things like that."

Others reported being "stranded" at the island's airport after fleeing their accommodation.

Christos Efstratiou, deputy governor for the Dodecanese islands, said the intensity of the fire had eased by Tuesday morning, allowing some people to return to their homes and hotels.

More than 100 firefighters, helped by a helicopter, were still tackling the blaze on Tuesday to stop it flaring up again, officials said.

On the nearby island of Chios, more than 170 firefighters, assisted by 10 aircraft, were also trying to tame another fire that broke out on Monday afternoon.

A brigade spokesperson said: "The situation appears improved on both fronts."

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At least five people have been hurt across the two islands, but there have been no reports of any deaths.

Emergency crews helped by water-carrying planes also fought a wildfire on the island of Crete on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned this week of a dangerous summer of wildfires following a prolonged drought and unusually high gusts of wind for the season.

Last year, forest fires killed 20 people in the north of the country and forced 19,000 people to flee the island of Rhodes.

Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean country, but scientists have warned that climate change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of such blazes.