Two Greek firefighting helicopters have collided and crashed west of Athens while taking part in operations against large wildfires near the Greek capital, killing two people and leaving a British pilot reported to be among the survivors.
The two aircraft went down as firefighters battled huge flames in the Attica region, close to Athens. The crash site was reported to be west of Athens, in the wider area affected by the firefighting operation. The two helicopters had been involved in the response to a large blaze that was burning near the city, and they were operating in the same area when the accident happened.
The two people killed in the accident were reported to be a Greek national and a Danish national. The British survivor was described as a pilot. Their names had not been given in the early reports, and no further information about the survivor’s condition had emerged.
The exact circumstances of the collision have not yet been established. Initial reports did not say how the two helicopters came to crash or what may have caused the incident. The aircraft were described as Greek firefighting helicopters, and the accident happened in the course of a firefighting operation in the Attica area.
The incident draws attention to the dangers faced by crews who fly firefighting aircraft. Helicopters are often used to support ground teams, helping to slow the spread of flames in difficult conditions. These missions can be extremely demanding. Firefighting aviation is a central part of the response to wildfires in the region around Athens, and the loss of two people in this collision is a heavy blow to that effort.
The fire near Athens had been producing huge flames, according to reports, and crews had been working to bring it under control. The crash occurred in the middle of that effort, west of the city. As well as the emergency response at the crash site, firefighting work in Attica was continuing. The British pilot’s survival was reported as the main positive news from the accident.
Several details remain unknown in the immediate aftermath. The identities of the two people who were killed, the full number of people on board the helicopters and the survivor’s condition have not yet been made clear. What is known is that two Greek firefighting helicopters crashed west of Athens, killing a Greek national and a Danish national, and that a British pilot was among the survivors.
