Greek firefighting helicopters collide, killing two amid wildfire crisis

Two Greek firefighting helicopters collided in midair on Sunday while battling a wind-driven wildfire west of Athens, killing two crew members and injuring two others. The aircraft were operating over the Psatha area when the crash occurred, sending one helicopter to the ground. One Greek and one Danish national were killed, while a Greek and a British national survived. Details about the surviving crew members were not immediately available.

The collision underscored the perilous conditions faced by emergency services amid Europe's intensifying wildfire emergency. Fierce winds propelled flames deeper into the region surrounding the Greek capital, necessitating further evacuations. The fire, which began Friday near Agios Vasileios, spread rapidly toward Porto Germeno and into the forested mountains west of Athens.

Nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft were deployed, but gale-force winds hampered the response, preventing some aircraft from collecting water from the sea. The fire's advance through western Attica threatened communities and an industrial district. This situation carried grim resonance, recalling the 2018 Mati wildfire, Europe's deadliest blaze this century, which claimed 104 lives.

Authorities ordered evacuations for Kandili, Agia Skepi, and Toutouli as smoke billowed over the mountains. Firefighters expressed particular concern for Porto Germeno, a seaside community on the Gulf of Corinth. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis received updates on the operation. The incident occurred as other fires raged across Greece and Europe, with blazes in France and Spain forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes.

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A pristine forest, a paradise, was surrendered to the hands of the fire. There are no words to explain what has happened. Destruction. Total destruction.