2 firefighting helicopters collide midair near Athens as Europe’s wildfire emergency rages
The fire service said the two Bell helicopters each carried a two-person crew as nearly 500 firefighters battled the blaze.
- On Sunday, two Bell firefighting helicopters collided while battling a wildfire in the Psatha area west of Athens, killing two crew members and injuring two others.
- Gale-Force winds hampered aerial firefighting efforts across western Attica, preventing crews from containing a massive blaze that threatened communities and an industrial district near Megara.
- Greek Fire Service officials confirmed the deceased included one Greek and one Danish national, while one Greek and one British crew member were recovered alive.
- Television footage captured one helicopter exploding and crashing to the ground, prompting immediate search and rescue operations in the Psatha area.
- While fires in France and Spain showed signs of easing, Greece remains under near-maximum fire risk as extreme weather conditions continue testing civil protection capabilities.
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271 Articles
Disaster Strikes Greek Wildfire Mission as Firefighting Helicopters Collide Mid-Air West of Athens
Two firefighting helicopters collided in mid-air during wildfire operations west of Athens on Sunday, killing two crew members and injuring two others as Greece battled fast-moving flames in western Attica. The crash occurred over the Psatha and Porto Germeno area, where strong winds, high temperatures and dry conditions were helping to drive one of the country's most intense wildfires of the summer. The collision came during one of Greece's mos…
In Greece, the fires are still fierce and the firefighters are fighting at the risk of their lives. In the middle of the operation, on Sunday 2 August, two helicopters collided. The pilot and the co-pilot of one of them were killed.
Two firefighting helicopters collide while tackling wildfires near Athens
A search and rescue operation is underway after two firefighting helicopters collided while tackling a wildfire near the Greek capital Athens. Officials said one Danish and one Greek national had been killed.
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