ATHENS: Two crew members were killed after two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air while battling a wildfire near Athens on Sunday, Greek authorities said.
The victims were identified as a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer. A British pilot and another Greek fire service co-ordinator aboard the second helicopter survived the crash with minor injuries.
Video footage showed one Bell helicopter striking the rotors of the other before bursting into flames and crashing into a ravine. The second aircraft managed to make an emergency landing.
Two firefighting helicopters collided during a forest fire operation in the Psathas area of Greece. Search and rescue teams have been deployed, and efforts to locate those involved are ongoing.
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The helicopters, leased from Australian company McDermott Aviation, were taking part in efforts to contain a major wildfire on the Attica-Boeotia border, according to the Greek Fire Service.
The crew of one helicopter was rescued alive, while the two occupants of the second aircraft were recovered unconscious and later pronounced dead.
Investigation Underway
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his “deepest sorrow” over the tragedy, saying the deaths of the Danish pilot and Greek fire service officer had “filled us all with grief”. He extended his condolences to their families.
Following the collision, authorities grounded all Bell firefighting helicopters operating across Greece as a precaution while an investigation gets underway.
The British pilot and the Greek liaison officer who survived remained conscious after the emergency landing and were admitted to hospital for observation.
A source in Greece’s civil protection ministry said the British survivor was a privately contracted pilot hired for the wildfire season and was not part of any UK government assistance programme.
The accident comes as Greece battles multiple wildfires following an intense heatwave that has triggered evacuations in several parts of the country. Other European nations have also been grappling with severe wildfires amid prolonged periods of extreme heat.
