Two dead, two injured in helicopter collision while fighting Greek wildfires

A tragic mid-air collision between two contracted helicopters battling a wildfire in Greece has resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to two others. The incident occurred Sunday in a coastal area west of Athens, where the aircraft were engaged in combating a blaze under challenging weather conditions.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed the fatalities on social media, identifying the deceased as the Danish pilot of one helicopter and the Greek co-pilot of the other. Initial reports from Greek media had suggested the deceased pilot was Romanian. The two injured crew members, a Briton and a Greek national, were transported to a hospital with minor injuries.

The collision happened near Psatha, a coastal town approximately 60 kilometers west of Athens. Both helicopters, identified by some media as Bell 212 models, had been leased by the Fire Department from private companies and took off from the Elefsina military airport. The accident has led to the grounding of all Bell helicopters involved in the firefighting efforts in the region as a precautionary measure, a significant setback given the critical role of aerial support.

Greece is currently grappling with severe wildfires, exacerbated by very strong winds that are fanning the flames and complicating suppression efforts. This accident comes just days after three firefighters died while battling blazes on the island of Crete and in the southern Peloponnese. Over the past four days, fires have scorched an estimated 10,000 hectares, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. Firefighting teams continue to work near Agios Nektarios and Krio Pigadi, northwest of Athens, as flames threaten local communities and infrastructure.

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I express my deepest sorrow for the tragic accident of the two contracted firefighting helicopters that claimed the lives of two frontline fighters in the battle against the fires, under very adverse weather conditions.