Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire west of Athens on Sunday, Greek authorities said, as emergency crews searched for missing crew members amid one of the country’s worst wildfire outbreaks this summer.
The crash happened during an aerial firefighting operation over the Psatha area in Attica, where hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to tackle a blaze that has destroyed more than 100 homes.
In a statement, Greece’s Fire Service said the two Bell helicopters, each carrying a crew of two, crashed after taking off from Elefsina military airport.
“During the aerial firefighting operation, two (2) BELL helicopters, leased by the Fire Department, with a crew of two (2) people each, crashed in the wider area of Psatha, Attica. The helicopters had taken off from the Elefsina military airport. The search and rescue operation is underway. A further update will follow,” the statement said.
In Greece, two rescue helicopters collided while battling a forest fire
Both aircraft crashed into a ravine. One pilot made contact and was unharmed, while the other sustained injuries.
The fate of the crew of the second helicopter remains unknown.
A search and rescue… pic.twitter.com/iQ4U6xnvam
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Authorities said the two crew members aboard one of the helicopters had been rescued. Local media reported that they had re-established communication with emergency officials and shared their location after the crash.
Search teams continued looking for the second helicopter and its two crew members. Officials have not released details about their condition.
The helicopter collision came as Greece continued to battle multiple wildfires driven by high temperatures, dry vegetation and strong winds.
The fire near Porto Germeno, about 60km northwest of Athens on the Gulf of Corinth, is among the country’s most destructive this year. Officials said it has destroyed more than 100 homes and burned through thousands of hectares of forest and farmland.
Although the gale-force winds that initially fuelled the blaze eased on Sunday, flames crossed a mountain ridge towards the settlement of Veniza and a nearby military firing range, raising concerns about unexploded ordnance.
Nearly 500 firefighters, supported by aircraft, helicopters, heavy machinery and emergency vehicles, have been deployed to contain the fire. Greece has also received firefighting assistance from France and Romania under European emergency cooperation mechanisms.
Elsewhere, authorities ordered overnight evacuations in several settlements on the Ionian island of Kefalonia after another wildfire broke out in the Pastra area.
Greece is one of several European countries facing severe wildfire conditions following weeks of record-breaking heat and little rainfall. Scientists have warned that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves and wildfire seasons across southern Europe.
Wildfires in France and Spain have shown signs of easing in recent days, although firefighters continue to deal with smaller flare-ups in several regions.