Athens (Republic Pk) 2 helicopters of the fire department collided while fighting a fire in the forests of Pasatha, west of Athens, the capital of Greece, as a result of which 2 crew members were killed.
TV footage showed one helicopter hitting the bottom of another, causing it to explode and fall to the ground.
According to media reports, a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service officer were killed in the crash, while the crew of the other helicopter was rescued safely.
The fire service’s director of communications said both crew members were taken to hospital in an unconscious state, where doctors confirmed their death.
Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters are battling to keep the blaze west of Athens from spreading to the city’s suburbs, while authorities have suspended all helicopter flights in the area pending an investigation.
According to the Greek Prime Minister, one Greek and one Danish pilot are among those who died in the accident. After this accident, the total number of deaths from forest fires in Greece this week has reached 5. Before that, three firefighters have lost their lives in Crete and Peloponnese.