- Two firefighting helicopters collided west of Athens, Greece, amid the country's ongoing battle against widespread wildfires.
- Meteorologist Theodore Giannaros reported that crews were "working under very, very difficult conditions" as the fire has already burned more than 100,000 hectares of land in Greece.
- Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that Greece is facing "extreme weather conditions" and warned of "extremely difficult" days ahead, noting that winds have reached 100 kilometres (60 miles) an hour.
- Wildfires have led to the evacuation of thousands of people across Greece; on Crete, around 8,000 people were temporarily evacuated, and about 500 people, mostly tourists, were evacuated in central Greece.
- Tragically, two firefighters died on Crete after becoming trapped while tackling a fire near Krya Vrysi, and Mitsotakis paid tribute to three firefighters who died earlier in the week.
Two firefighting helicopters collided west of Athens on Sunday while battling wildfires, leading to a search and rescue operation for the four crew members. The helicopters, leased by the fire department, had taken off from Elefsina military airport.1
Greece is currently grappling with extreme weather conditions, as noted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who warned of "extremely difficult" days ahead. Winds have reached 100 kilometres (60 miles) an hour, severely hampering firefighting efforts. Meteorologist Theodore Giannaros stated that crews are working under "very, very difficult conditions", with wildfires having already burned over 100,000 hectares of land across the country.2345
The situation has led to the evacuation of thousands, including 8,000 people on the island of Crete and 500 tourists in central Greece. Tragically, two firefighters lost their lives earlier in the week while combating a fire near Krya Vrysi in the Rethymno region. Mitsotakis has paid tribute to the fallen firefighters and commended the ongoing efforts of fire crews, volunteers, and military personnel.678910
As the nation continues to battle these devastating wildfires, the cause of the helicopter collision remains unknown, along with the status and identities of the crew members involved.
“The cause of the collision and the status or identities of the crew remained unknown, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of “extremely difficult” days ahead and winds reaching 100 kilometres an hour. Wildfires have forced thousands to evacuate, including 8,000 people on Crete and about 500 tourists in central Greece.”
