ATHENS, Aug. 3: Two crew members were killed and two others survived after two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air while battling a large wildfire in central Greece on Sunday, 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 coordinator aboard the second helicopter survived the crash with minor injuries and were taken to hospital for observation.
The accident occurred about 65 kilometers west of Athens during operations to contain a major wildfire burning along the Attica-Boeotia border. Video footage of the incident showed one Bell helicopter striking the rotor blades of another before one aircraft burst into flames and crashed into a ravine. The second helicopter managed to make an emergency landing.
According to Greece’s Fire Service, the crew of one helicopter was rescued alive, while the occupants of the second aircraft were recovered unconscious and later pronounced dead.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences, describing the deaths of the Greek coordinator and Danish pilot as a tragedy that had “filled us all with grief.”
Following the collision, Greek authorities grounded all Bell firefighting helicopters across the country as a precaution while an investigation into the cause of the accident gets underway.
Officials said the British survivor was a privately contracted pilot hired specifically for Greece’s wildfire season and was not part of any official UK assistance mission.
Firefighting operations have continued using Erickson Air-Crane, Chinook, and Canadair water-bombing aircraft as hundreds of firefighters battle blazes across several regions, including Psatha, Porto Germeno, Megara, Fokida and the island of Kefalonia.
Greece is among several European countries battling intense wildfires amid prolonged heatwaves. Similar fires in France and Spain have forced mass evacuations in recent days, highlighting the growing impact of extreme weather conditions linked to climate change.
