Two pilots killed in helicopter crash during wildfire fight in Greece

A mid-air collision between two firefighting helicopters battling a major wildfire west of Athens has resulted in the deaths of both pilots, one Danish and one Greek. The Greek fire service confirmed the recovery of the pilots' bodies after one helicopter exploded and crashed following the impact. State television ERT reported the nationalities of the deceased.

This tragic incident raises the death toll from Greece's recent wildfires to five. Three firefighters had previously died on Crete and the Peloponnese peninsula last week. Footage broadcast by ERT showed the rotor of one helicopter striking another before it erupted in flames and fell to the ground. Two crew members in the second helicopter survived after their pilot executed an emergency landing.

The collision occurred near the village of Psatha, where an extensive search and rescue operation was launched. Meanwhile, the large fire, located about 50 kilometers west of Athens, has spread to within kilometers of the town of Megara, home to approximately 36,000 residents. Initial estimates suggest that over 10,000 hectares of forest, along with houses, stables, and farmland, have been destroyed since Friday. Hundreds of emergency personnel, including firefighters from Romania and France, are engaged in combating the blaze in the heavily forested Kithairon mountain range.

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There are situations where the nature and intensity of weather events overcome human planning and operational capability.