Two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air near Athens on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of two crew members, according to multiple news outlets. The crash occurred west of the Greek capital as crews fought a major wildfire, reported by dailyrecord.co.uk and ca.news.yahoo.com. The incident took place during a heightened wildfire emergency across Europe, with the fire fueled by strong winds, as noted by castanet.net.
The two helicopters, which were part of Greece’s firefighting efforts, crashed while attempting to combat the blaze, according to the Associated Press cited by walesonline.co.uk. One of the deceased was a Greek national, and the other was a Danish national, as reported by castanet.net. The crash sent one aircraft crashing to the ground, with footage capturing the moment, as shared by news.google.com.
Survivors, including a British citizen, were reportedly among those involved in the operation, according to independent.co.uk and standard.co.uk. The incident highlights the dangers faced by emergency responders during extreme weather conditions. The Greek fire service continues to work alongside hundreds of firefighters to contain the blaze, which has been a major concern in the region.
