Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided in midair on Sunday while battling a wind-driven wildfire west of Athens, killing both crew members aboard one of the aircraft in the deadliest incident of Europe’s prolonged wildfire crisis.
The crash occurred over the Psatha area near Agios Konstantinos, roughly 70 kilometres northwest of Athens, where a large blaze had already destroyed more than 100 homes and forced residents to flee. Footage broadcast on Greek television showed one helicopter falling to the ground moments after the collision, sending a column of black smoke into the sky.
Greece’s fire service said the four crew members from both helicopters were recovered after the crash. Two were found conscious and taken to hospital, while the other two were pronounced dead at the scene. The identities of the victims were not immediately released pending notification of their families.
The incident struck as Greece continued to battle multiple wildfires fanned by gale-force winds, part of a broader emergency sweeping southern Europe. Fires have burned across Greece, Spain, Portugal, and France for weeks, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and killing at least 12 people across the continent.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed condolences and said the loss underscored the extraordinary risks faced by firefighters confronting blazes that have stretched Greek emergency services to their limits. Greece has deployed nearly 8,000 firefighters and called in reinforcements from France, Spain, Italy, and Turkey.
The collision is expected to prompt a review of aerial firefighting protocols in Greece, where multiple helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft frequently operate in the same airspace over active fire zones. Safety experts have long warned that crowded fire skies increase the risk of midair incidents, particularly when high winds and thick smoke reduce visibility.
The European Union’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre said it was monitoring the situation across the continent, with the wildfire season showing no signs of abating. Temperatures across southern Europe are forecast to remain well above seasonal averages through the coming week, keeping fire risk elevated.
AP: 2 firefighting helicopters collide midair near Athens
The Independent: Two dead after firefighting helicopters crash in Greece
NBC News: Two firefighting helicopters collide in Greece while battling wildfires
Author: Europe Desk
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