Two firefighting helicopters collided on Sunday, August 2nd. They were both attending a wind-driven wildfire in Porto Germeno, Greece. A video of the collision has begun circulating on social media.
Videos by Wide Open Country
In the video, the helicopters can be seen slowly closing in on each other, with one operating at a slightly lower altitude than the other. As they both begin turning to position themselves over the fires, the higher-altitude helicopter collides with the one below it. The lower-altitude helicopter then hurtles toward the ground with fire billowing out of the tail.
BREAKING: Two firefighting helicopters collided Sunday while battling a wind-driven wildfire in the Porto Germeno area west of Athens. Video captured one of the aircraft crashing to the ground after the midair collision. pic.twitter.com/4kTHa7wR0V
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911)
According to the BBC, two of the crew members aboard the helicopter have sadly passed away.
"Two crew have died after two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece," the BBC reported. "A British pilot and a Greek crew member survived the crash, and have been taken to hospital for treatment...The two people killed were a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer."
Following the incident, the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, shared his condolences for those who died. He expressed his "deepest sorrow" for the "tragic accident," per the BBC.
Greece has been hit by a brutal wave of wildfires this summer, with the issue being widespread throughout the country.
Multiple European Countries Are Being Impacted by Wildfires
Unfortunately, Greece isn't the only European country battling wildfires this summer. France has also been hit by some severe breakouts. However, unlike most of Europe, Greece has enjoyed a particularly normal summer as far as temperature is concerned. Instead, the wildfires in the country have predominantly been due to very strong winds.
In France, the Gironde region has been the worst hit. Over 224,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes, with almost 3,000 firefighters battling the blaze, per Sky News.
Nevertheless, Europeans will now be worried that their experiences this summer are a sign of things to come, as the continent continues to experience hotter summers and warmer, yet wetter, winters.
For now, though, the primary focus will be on containing the wildfires and ensuring accidents such as the one in Greece don't become commonplace. Hopefully, an investigation into the helicopter collision will help ensure that is the case.
