Around 50 Swedish travelers were moved from their accommodation in the fire-ravaged Kardamena on Kos on Monday evening at the request of the rescue service. During Tuesday morning, the number was up to over 200 Swedes, according to the travel companies.
– Right now, the situation is judged to be that they don’t want people in the hotels, says Adam Györki, head of communications at the travel company Tui to SVT Nyheter.
Apollo also has hotels affected by the evacuation and some Apollo travelers stuck on the island are Sam Nelleros and his family.
– The guests are worried, you can see that the hotel staff are also worried. I try to stay calm, says Sam.
Locate evacuees
It was when they were on their way home to the hotel following a day in Kardamena that they smelled a fire. Once they got there, they saw the flames.
Apollo’s press officer Martina Krantz tells SVT that at the moment they have not received any information from the authorities and emergency services on site that it would be relevant to evacuate the island. The work right now is instead to locate everyone who has been evacuated from their hotels while simultaneously searching for new accommodation if necessary.
– We await the development, should it calm down you can return, otherwise we will arrange new accommodation. But we keep our travelers updated via SMS, she says.
Even Ving evacuates
The travel company Ving was contacted late on Monday evening by the announcement that two of their hotels are to be evacuated, how many travelers are involved is currently unclear.
– There are buses on site at the hotel, so you will take them to a collection area. Then they will be taken on to another hotel for the night, says Charlotte Hallencreutz, press informer at Ving.
Watch the fire from the hotel where Sam and his family live in the clip above.