Two killed as firefighting helicopters collide in Greece

Two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air west of Athens on Sunday while battling a major wildfire.4,2,1 The collision killed two crew members and left two others injured.4,3,2,1 The two deceased crew members were identified as a Danish pilot and a Greek firefighting coordinator.1

The two survivors were a British pilot and a Greek crew member.5,2,1 Greek fire officials said the collision occurred during firefighting operations in western Attica.4,2 The Greek fire department reported that all four crew members were recovered after the crash.3,2

Greek authorities confirmed the incident at a press briefing led by Fire Service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis.1 Video footage captured the midair collision of the two helicopters.4 The wildfire in Attica was described as major and burning out of control at the time of the crash.2

The collision occurred as Europe faced a wildfire emergency.3