Two killed as firefighting helicopters collide mid-air in Greece

Two crew members have died after two helicopters collided in mid-air while fighting wildfires west of the Greek capital, Athens.

The victims have been identified as a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer. A British pilot and a second Greek officer aboard the other aircraft survived with minor injuries after making an emergency landing.

Video of the incident, which occurred roughly 65 kilometres (42 miles) west of Athens, shows one of the leased Bell helicopters striking the rotors of the second aircraft, causing it to burst into flames and plunge into a ravine.

According to the Greek Fire Service, the collision took place on Sunday during operations to contain a major blaze burning along the Attica-Boeotia border.

Grounding of fleet and rescue effort

Following standard safety protocols, all Bell helicopters operating in the country have been grounded pending an investigation, a civil protection ministry source confirmed.

The two survivors managed to report the collision immediately, guiding search and rescue teams to the crash site. Both were taken to hospital for 24 hours of observation as a precaution.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his “deepest sorrow” over the crash, stating on X that the loss of life “fills us all with grief.”

Widespread wildfire crisis

The crash comes as emergency services fight dozens of blazes across southern Europe amid prolonged heatwaves.

In Greece, more than 500 firefighters have spent the past 72 hours battling aggressive fires across regions including Porto Germeno, Psatha, Megara, and the island of Kefalonia. Aerial firefighting efforts are continuing using heavy-lift Erickson Air-Cranes, Chinooks, and Canadair water-bombing planes.

Extensive wildfires have also struck France and Spain in recent days, forcing tens of thousands of evacuations, though major fires near Madrid and Bordeaux have now been brought under control.

Experts warn that unseasonably warm weather and prolonged dry spells are continuing to create prime conditions for intense, fast-spreading blazes across the region.