Two pilots killed in helicopter crash as Greek wildfires intensify
Two helicopter crew members died in a midair collision on Sunday while battling wildfires in Greece, bringing the week's death toll to five. Strong winds are hampering firefighting efforts and threatening the outskirts of Athens.
Helicopter crash
Two pilots were killed on Sunday when their helicopter collided with another aircraft during operations against wildfires west of Athens. The accident occurred near Psatha, the fire service said. The pilots were taken to hospital unconscious and pronounced dead, according to fire department communications director Vassilis Vathrakogiannis. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the victims were a Dane and a Greek. The crew of the second helicopter was rescued.
The fire department has grounded all Bell helicopters in the area pending an investigation, state broadcaster ERT reported. The aircraft were part of a fleet of 15 leased from Australia's McDermott Aviation, which has supported operations in Greece for seven years. Most aircraft had been kept on the ground until Sunday because of hazardous winds.
Scale of fires
Officials counted 220 forest and agricultural fires across the country since Monday. Researchers estimate that around 16,000 hectares have been destroyed. Mitsotakis said winds had reached 100 kilometres per hour and warned of extremely difficult days. Vathrakogiannis said Greece may be experiencing the hardest days of the summer. Firefighters were trying to stop a blaze west of Athens from reaching the capital's outskirts after it crossed a mountain overnight.
Arrests and evacuations
A 44-year-old man was arrested on the Ionian island of Cephalonia on suspicion of deliberately starting a fire. Two workers of an electricity company were also detained over a large fire near Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth, apparently sparked by a power cable on Friday. Porto Germeno and other villages were evacuated, and local authorities reported many homes damaged or destroyed. Rescue teams and volunteers on Sunday saved dozens of dogs and left food for cats.
According to the National Observatory's meteo.gr, early estimates show more than 6,500 hectares burned in separate Gulf of Corinth fires, including Porto Germeno. Wildfire researcher Theodore Giannaros said the area affected appeared to exceed 10,000 hectares and that it was highly likely the fire would be classified as a megafire. Earlier this week, fires on Crete and Paros affected another 6,000 hectares. Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas said the fire department had been pushed to its limits. Much of the greater Athens area, Voiotia and Evia remain under near maximum fire risk on Monday.
