Athens (EFE).- Two crew members aboard a leased helicopter engaged in firefighting operations in a coastal region of Greece died Sunday after a mid-air collision with another leased aircraft, the Greek government confirmed. Two pilots from the second helicopter sustained injuries in the incident.
The deceased have been identified as the Danish pilot of the first aircraft and his Greek co-pilot, according to a statement posted on X by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Earlier reports from Greek media had incorrectly identified the deceased pilot as a Romanian national.
«I express my deepest sorrow over the tragic accident involving two leased firefighting helicopters, which claimed the lives of two frontline combatants fighting fires under extremely adverse weather conditions,» the Prime Minister stated.
The crew of the second aircraft, identified by the daily Efsyn as a British national and a Greek national, were transported to a hospital with minor injuries.
Severe wind conditions
The area where the accident occurred has been battered by severe gale-force winds, which have both fueled the blaze and hampered aerial firefighting efforts.
Local television channels aired footage showing the two aircraft flying in close proximity before colliding. One helicopter caught fire and lost its main rotor before plummeting to the ground.
The helicopters, identified by some outlets as Bell 214 models, were battling a wildfire in Psatha, a coastal town approximately 60 kilometers west of Athens.
Both aircrafts had been leased by the Hellenic Fire Service and had departed from the Elefsina military airfield.
Following the collision, all Bell-model helicopters involved in the Psatha firefighting operations have been grounded per safety protocol, pending further notice. This suspension comes at a critical time when aerial support is vital for containment.
According to Skai news, the crew members were civilian personnel employed by private companies contracted by the government for fire suppression services.
The tragedy follows the deaths of three firefighters on Wednesday during operations on the island of Crete and in the southern Peloponnese; those fires are currently under control.
10,000 hectares scorched in four days Approximately 10,000 hectares have been destroyed and thousands of residents evacuated due to a wildfire that broke out four days ago. The eastern front of the fire is currently situated about 35 kilometers from Athens.
On Sunday afternoon, more than 450 firefighters supported by 126 fire engines and 12 aircraft focused their efforts near the towns of Agios Nektarios and Krio Pigadi, located 40 kilometers northwest of the capital, as flames threatened residential areas.
«We are working to save homes and local infrastructure,» Mandra Mayor Armodios Drikos told the state news agency AMNA, adding that the fire remains uncontained.
The fire originated on Thursday in the neighboring region of Boeotia, where conditions have since stabilized, before spreading 40 kilometers eastward into the Attica region.
Thousands of people from dozens of communities have been forced to flee their homes.
Firefighting crews are also battling a new blaze that broke out Sunday on the Ionian island of Cephalonia, threatening populated areas.
220 fires and 33 arrests
Since Monday, 220 forest fires have been reported across Greece, many fueled by strong winds, according to the Fire Service.
Authorities have arrested 33 individuals over the past five days: 30 on charges of negligence or reckless behavior, and three for suspected arson.
Two of the detainees are linked to a private electricity transmission network that reportedly malfunctioned, generating sparks that ignited the Boeotia fire which eventually reached Attica.
Between 2017 and 2025, wildfires destroyed 47,000 hectares in Attica, representing 38% of the region’s total forest cover, according to the National Observatory of Athens.
Forest fires are a recurring threat in Greece. In 2023, more than 170,000 hectares, over 1.2% of Greek territory, were burned, including 95,000 hectares in the Evros fire, the largest ever recorded in Europe. EFE
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