ATHENS: Aerial firefighting operations in Greece turned tragic after two helicopters involved in battling a major forest fire collided mid-air, killing two people.
The accident occurred in the forests of Psatha, west of the Greek capital Athens, where several helicopters were operating to contain the fast-spreading wildfire.
Footage broadcast by television channels showed one helicopter striking the underside of another during flight. The aircraft then caught fire and crashed to the ground.
The victims included a pilot from Denmark and an officer of the Greek Fire Service. The crew aboard the second helicopter survived the collision and was safely evacuated.
Authorities said the injured personnel were rushed to hospital in critical condition, but medical teams were unable to save them.
Following the crash, Greek authorities temporarily suspended firefighting helicopter operations as a precaution and launched an investigation to determine the cause of the collision.
Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters continued battling wildfires in western areas of Athens, working to prevent the flames from reaching residential communities.
The Greek prime minister expressed deep sorrow over the incident and confirmed that those killed included a Greek Fire Service officer and a Danish pilot.
The latest deaths have raised the number of people killed in wildfire-related incidents in Greece this week to five. Three firefighters had previously lost their lives while fighting fires in Crete and the Peloponnese.
