"Search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to locate and assist the crew", the Hellenic Fire Service said today.
Video shared on social media showed two helicopters flying at different altitudes, their separation gradually narrowing until the trailing aircraft collided with the one in front from above. The lead helicopter ignited and crashed immediately, while the second continued its flight.
Greek officials have not yet released the status of those on the crashed helicopter, nor the cause of the accident. State television ERT reported that one crew member was found safe, and rescue teams are searching for the other.
On 2/8, Greece continued to battle multiple simultaneous wildfires, with an increasing area of forest and agricultural land burned. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated the country is experiencing "extreme weather conditions", with wind gusts reaching 100 km/h.
"When winds blow that strong, even the dozens of firefighting aircraft we have cannot operate safely. There are times when nature and the severity of the weather surpass all human plans and response capabilities", he said.
According to the Hellenic Fire Service, nearly 500 firefighters are working to contain fires around the popular coastal village of Porto Germeno, approximately 70 km northwest of Athens.
Authorities are also trying to prevent the flames from spreading to the western outskirts of Athens after the fire crossed a mountain range overnight. Around 100 firefighters are responding to a blaze in Aigialia, in the northern Peloponnese peninsula.
A new fire also erupted on the evening of 1/8 on the popular resort island of Cephalonia in the Ionian Sea. The ANA news agency reported that a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson.
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Greek firefighters work to contain a wildfire in the Porto Germeno area on 2/8. *Photo: AFP* |
According to the climate monitoring system of the National Observatory of Athens, initial estimates indicate that over 6,500 hectares of forest and land have been burned in fires around the Gulf of Corinth.
Residents in Porto Germeno and several other villages were evacuated when fires erupted on 31/7, with local authorities stating that dozens of homes were damaged or completely destroyed.
"We cannot believe what we are witnessing. The fire is spreading with terrifying speed", said Nikos Georgopoulos, an expert at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas stated on 1/8 that firefighting forces have been pushed to their limits. Three firefighters died in the line of duty in recent days: two on the island of Crete and one in the Peloponnese peninsula.
Like many other Mediterranean countries heavily impacted by climate change, Greece faces wildfires almost every summer due to high temperatures, prolonged heatwaves, and drought conditions.
By Huyen Le (According to AFP, Reuters)
