Two dead, two injured as two firefighting helicopters collide in Greece, media report

A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters has resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to two others in Greece. The tragic accident occurred on Sunday while the aircraft were engaged in efforts to extinguish a wildfire near Psatha, a coastal town approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Athens.

The two fatalities were the Romanian pilot of one helicopter and his Greek co-pilot. The occupants of the second aircraft, also a Romanian and a Greek national, sustained minor injuries and were transported to a hospital. Media reports described harrowing footage showing the two helicopters flying in close proximity before the collision, after which one aircraft caught fire, lost its main rotor, and plummeted to the ground.

Both helicopters, identified by some outlets as Bell 124 models, had been leased by the Fire Service and had taken off from the military airport in Elefsina. It remains unclear if the injured Greek crew members were part of the Air Force, which often pilots firefighting aircraft.

The wildfire that the helicopters were attempting to combat has already consumed an estimated 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of land. Thousands of people have been evacuated as the blaze, which started four days prior, continues to spread. On Sunday, its eastern front was approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Greek capital, Athens.

This incident adds to a series of recent tragedies in Greece. On Wednesday, three firefighters lost their lives while fighting separate fires on the island of Crete and in the southern Peloponnese region. Those fires are now under control.