Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a massive wildfire in Greece on Sunday, killing two crew members, as devastating blazes continued to sweep parts of southern Europe amid extreme heat and drought.
The Greek fire service said a Greek and a Danish national aboard one helicopter died, while the crew of the second aircraft a Greek and a British national survived. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the mid-air collision.
The wildfire, which has destroyed more than 100 homes northwest of Athens, forced evacuations in western Attica as emergency crews worked to stop the flames from reaching the coastal town of Megara. Separate wildfires also prompted evacuations on the tourist island of Kefalonia.
Investigators believe the blaze, which spread from Boeotia to Attica, may have been sparked by electricity transmission lines linked to wind turbines. Two Greek nationals have been arrested on suspicion of negligence, while another suspect remains at large.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged the scale of the disaster, saying, “There are moments when the force of nature and the intensity of weather conditions exceed all human planning and every operational capability.”
Residents also joined firefighting efforts. Tasos Tzempelikos, 61, said, “The fire has been burning since last night, it is certain that they cannot have forces everywhere. We as residents are doing everything we can.”
Elsewhere in Europe, wildfires continued to threaten parts of France and Spain. In France’s Var region, shifting winds pushed flames into dense forest, while another blaze near Carcassonne forced road closures and evacuations. Returning to his home, resident Georges Blanc said, “With the combined efforts of the two Canadairs (firefighting planes) and the firefighters, I think you could say all the houses were saved … And now, well, I’m coming back to check, because since I saw the flames, I thought the houses wouldn’t have survived.”
In Spain, most major wildfires were brought under control, although firefighters continued battling flare-ups.
READ ALSO: Europe Battles Deadly Wildfires as Heat, Winds Fuel Crisis
Meanwhile, prolonged drought and record-low river levels disrupted parts of central Europe. Hungary’s only nuclear power plant was forced to shut down for the first time in more than 40 years because of low Danube water levels, while shipping, tourism and hydropower production were also affected in Hungary and Serbia.
Reuters
