Two dead in helicopter crash during Athens wildfire fight

Two firefighting helicopters crashed west of Athens on Sunday during firefighting efforts, killing two crew members. The crew of the second helicopter survived with injuries.

According to Greek broadcaster ERT, the collision occurred when one helicopter's rotor touched the other. The second helicopter then exploded and crashed in flames. The bodies of the pilot and co-pilot of the crashed helicopter were later found. The two surviving pilots managed to make an emergency landing.

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The situation is chaotic.

Meanwhile, the severe fire, located about 50 kilometers west of Athens, has spread to within a few kilometers of Megara, a town of 36,000 residents. Since Friday, over 10,000 hectares of forest, along with houses, stables, and agricultural land, have been destroyed, ERT reported. Hundreds of emergency personnel, including firefighters from Romania and France, are battling the blaze in the densely forested Kithairon mountain range.

The mayor of Megara described the situation as "chaotic." Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called it an "extraordinary situation," stating that the intensity of the weather events overwhelmed human planning and operational capacity. Authorities have arrested 13 people nationwide on suspicion of negligent arson.

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There are situations in which the nature and intensity of weather events overwhelm any human planning and any operational capability.