Home / Disasters and Accidents / Greek Helicopters Collide Battling Deadly Wildfires
Greek Helicopters Collide Battling Deadly Wildfires
2 Aug
Summary
- Two fire helicopters crashed while battling wildfires near Athens.
- One crew member was found safe; rescue teams searched for another.
- Nearly 600 firefighters fought multiple blazes threatening Athens.
Two fire helicopters collided on Sunday while battling a wildfire in the Psatha area, west of Athens, Greece. The incident occurred as the country grappled with multiple destructive wildfires, prompting Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to warn of "extremely difficult" days ahead due to extreme weather conditions and high winds.
Search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched. State broadcaster ERT reported that one crew member was found safe, with rescuers continuing to search for the second. Television footage captured the harrowing moment one helicopter exploded and plunged to the ground.
Nearly 600 firefighters were actively engaged in combating blazes around Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, and another 100 firefighters were working on a fire in Aigialia. A new fire also broke out on the island of Cephalonia, where a man was arrested on suspicion of arson. The affected areas have seen thousands of hectares of land burned, with some villages and homes damaged or destroyed.
