easyJet announces flights to bring Brits home from Rhodes as UK officials fly to Greek island

Airlines are preparing to bring British holidaymakers back home from a Greek island which has been ravaged by fire. Travel firm easyJet has announced two repatriation flights from Rhodes tomorrow (July 24) and a third on Tuesday.

Holidaymakers will be flown from the island to London Gatwick Airport. It comes as the UK Government is sending five staff from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and four British Red Cross responders to Rhodes as part of a 'rapid deployment team'.

The team will be based at Rhodes International Airport to assist people with travel documents and liaise with Greek authorities and travel operators, the Government said. Jet2 Holidays had already announced plans to cancel flights to Rhodes and send empty planes to bring Brits back home, while Tui has cancelled all flights until Tuesday.

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Thomas Cook has cancelled holidays to Kiotari and Lardos – the areas of the island most at risk – until July 31, while British Airways is offering full refunds to customers who are due to the travel to the island today and tomorrow. Families have been evacuated from hotels, leaving their belongings behind as the huge flames crawled closer.

Some have had to walk miles to find refuge or wade through water to reach rescue boats near the beach. The wildfire had been confined to the island’s mountainous centre but, aided by winds, very high temperatures and dry conditions, it spread on Saturday towards the coast on the island’s central-eastern side.

The six-day blaze continued to rage on Sunday after the fire service warned more fires could break out with temperatures set to reach 45C. Greek authorities