2,000 people evacuated by sea in Rhodes

About 2,000 people have been evacuated by sea from two beaches in Rhodes, Fire Service spokesman Yannis Artopios said Saturday evening. He said the evacuation took place "without incident."

Three coast guard vessels, an army lifeboat, Special Forces inflatables and thirty private sailboats assisted in the evacuation.

Passenger shipper Blue Star offered one of its ferries to accommodate some of the evacuees, Artopios said. He added that "less than 10% of the island's tourist accommodations" were affected by the evacuation order.

The Fire Service spokesman added that the intensity of the fire in two of the four localities ordered evacuated had abated.