Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided midair west of Athens on August 2. AP reported that the helicopters were fighting a wildfire being driven by wind when the collision happened.
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One of the helicopters crashed to the ground, killing a Greek and a Danish national.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed “sorrow for the tragic accident” while offering condolences for the families of the firefighters killed.
“The loss of the Greek coordinator and the Danish pilot at the time they were attempting the major fire in Porto Gremeno fills us all with grief,” he said in a statement.
Each of the Bell helicopters were operating in the Psatha area, which is west of the Greek capital. Both had a two-person crew. It is common for foreign firefighting and helicopter crews to be deployed to Greece during their hot, dry summers to help fight wildfires.
Two crew members were recovered alive, a Greek and a British national.
The strong winds continued into August 3, pushing the flames into mountain home clusters, AP reported. Farms and property have been destroyed by the flames, which also closed a highway.
Areas around Athens are facing high risk during the week, with temperatures set to rise. According to the outlet, more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the seaside resort of Porto Germeno and other areas west of Athens.
More than 250 people have been rescued by boats from area beaches.
“This is a difficult fire that has troubled us,” Fire Service spokesman Yiannis Artopios said. As of Monday, 12 water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters are operating in the area, according to Artopios.
The fire is being blamed on a faulty power line from a wind farm. Two contractors have been arrested on charges of arson.