10 jaw-dropping images of the wildfires ravaging Rhodes and Corfu

The Greek island of Rhodes, traditionally known as a Mediterranean paradise, has been transformed into a terrifying hellscape.

Wildfires have been ravaging the tourist hotspot since Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents and holidaymakers.

Some 19,000 people were moved from homes and hotels overnight, with hundreds forced to walk for up to 12 hours in 38°c heat to reach safety.

It comes as emergency services deal with blazes on the islands of Evia (east of Athens) and Aigio, (southwest of Athens), and Corfu.

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Meanwhile, authorities have reportedly summoned a man from the village of Apollo for questioning over suspicions of arson, potentially linked to the devastating Rhodes fires.

As holiday firms evacuate British families – in what the Greek government has described as the largest rescue operation in the country’s history – social media users have been documenting the extent of the nightmare.

Here’s a look at some of the most jaw-dropping images of the terrible situation on the Aegean:

The landscape is transformed into a terrible infernoReuters

Crowds wait in the blistering heat to be evacuatedReuters

Tourists shelter in a local stadiumReuters

A hotel was left a scorched shellReuters

A satellite image shows the affected areaReuters

Flames tear through a forest on the islandReuters

A man carries a child through the blistering heatAP

Smoke billows ominously over the islandReuters

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