– I am very scared. That’s what Emilie Syse Engaas says, who is on Rhodes in Greece. Together with her husband and children aged three and seven, she had to run from the flames on Rodos on Saturday. – The children ran with masks, because there was so much smoke. It was very hot, over 40 degrees, says Engaas. They were close to the flames, and the escape to safety was dramatic. – The flames kept getting closer. We ran for six kilometers before we got to safety, says Engaas. Not satisfied with the travel company Engaas and the family traveled with the travel company Apollo. She is not satisfied with the help they received. – We tried repeatedly to contact them. There was no help to be had. We were not told to evacuate, and had to flee completely alone, says Engaas. She nevertheless pays tribute to the help they received from locals during the escape. – There were many local heroes who helped us to safety. It is hard to think that many of them lost their homes, she says. Saw the fire creeping towards them One of those who has made it home after the evacuation is the half-Greek Norwegian Thomas Tokouzpalidis. He was holidaying with his family at Lardos, about a kilometer from the fire. – All the clothes smell like wildfire, so we have to wash everything, he says. Half-Greek Thomas Tokouzpalidis is doing the laundry after the evacuation from Rhodes. Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news Their holiday began with blue skies and a good atmosphere, but ended with ash rain and evacuation. – On Thursday and Friday it rained ash, with heavy smoke in the air. There were black flakes of ash on the floor in the hotel we stayed in, says Tokouzpalidis. At that point, they received messages from the travel company that there was nothing to worry about and that the authorities were under control. They too traveled with Apollo. – On Saturday we realized that they had no control. Then we saw that the flames were crawling over the ridge behind the hotel. It was thick with smoke, says Tokouzpalidis. Thomas Tokouzpalidis shows photos of the smoke-filled area on Rhodes that he and his family vacationed in. Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news – No information available Then came the evacuation notices. – There was practically no information to be obtained, either from the travel company or the authorities. I understand that it was a chaotic and demanding situation, but they could have been better at keeping us updated, says Tokouzpalidis. Thomas Tokouzpalidis and grandson Matteo Lislerud Sture (5) look at the pictures from the holiday. Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news After several hours of waiting, they were eventually transported to a dormitory where they were to spend the night. – It was cramped, with many people. I don’t know how many thousands there must have been. People were lying everywhere. On the grass, in bars and in restaurants. It was hot and clammy. I could not sleep. Fortunately, the children managed it, says Tokouzpalidis. – Full understanding of the frustration. Several people news has spoken to are upset about the lack of information and follow-up from the travel companies in connection with the evacuation. Communications Manager at Apollo, Beatriz Rivera. Photo: Photographer Johnny Syversen – We fully understand the frustration and fear. There is no doubt that this has been and is a demanding situation, says communications manager at travel company Apollo, Beatriz Rivera. She points out that the biggest challenge with the evacuation was that both telephone lines, internet and electricity were constantly down. – We struggled to get in touch with our staff. We tried to send out text messages to customers, but unfortunately the information did not always reach us. That’s why we also called the hotels directly, so that they could also inform the guests, says Rivera. As a result of the fire, several roads were also closed. – The buses were ready, but we struggled to get them out, says Rivera. Dissatisfied with offer from Tui On Monday afternoon, the travel company Tui offered all its evacuated Rodos travelers from the Nordic countries to return home on an extra scheduled flight to Denmark. They arrange transport onward to Copenhagen, but from there you have to get home yourself. Tui customers news has spoken to are unimpressed. Especially because the plane lands in Denmark in the middle of the night. – We have to find a hotel or sleep at the airport, until we find transport to Norway. We have to pay for that ourselves. Tui also writes that if we agree to this, we will cancel our own journey. This probably means that we will not be able to cover the costs of the trip and compensation for our trip, says Ståle Johansen. Director of Communications at Tui, Anne Mørk-Løwengreen. Tui tells news that many people have taken advantage of the offer, but cannot say how many of these are Norwegian. – We understand that it is not ideal for Norwegians, but it can be a solution for some. And we work in parallel with other offers, says director of communications at Tui, Anne Mørk-Løwengreen.
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Had to evacuate from Rhodes – several are dissatisfied with the travel companies – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
