Rhodes residents join wildfire fight with shovels, tree branches and towels

Residents on the Greek island of Rhodes joined the fight against wildfires - beating back the encroaching flames with shovels, tree branches and towels.

The wildfire forced evacuations as strong winds and successive heatwaves left scrubland and forests tinder-dry.

Around 20,000 people - including residents and tourists - had to leave homes and hotels on the island over the weekend as the fires reached coastal resorts on the island’s southeast.

Rhodes, one of Greece’s biggest islands, is among its top summer destinations, attracting about 1.5 million foreign tourists in the summer months.