British pilot survives fireball helicopter crash which killed two above Greece wildfire
Two people have been killed after a helicopter was captured on camera exploding into flames after it hit another above raging Greek wildfires.
The two helicopters were involved in efforts to tackle fires that were spreading in the Psatha region, on the Gulf of Corinth west of Athens.
Footage shows the moment one of the helicopters clips the rotary blade of another below sending it into a death spiral.
A British pilot and a Greek crew member survived the crash, and have been taken to hospital.
The two people killed were a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer.
Local news site in.gr said an injured crew member from one of the vehicles had been in communication with officials.
A search is taking place in a ravine for the other, which does not appear to have a functioning radio.
On Friday, 300 people were evacuated by sea from Porto Germeno – a popular resort a short distance north from Psatha – due to wildfires.
Local resident Minas Tzortzanis said: ‘A pristine forest, a paradise, was surrendered to the hands of the fire.
‘There are no words to explain what has happened. Destruction. Total destruction.’
Weather conditions have played an additional role in complicating the firefighting efforts.
Climate crisis and civil protection minister Evangelos Tournas said: ‘The very strong to gale-force winds continue to create exceptionally difficult conditions.’
The turbulence has meant some aircraft are struggling to collect water and get close enough to the scene to drop it.
Today’s incident in Greece took place as several European countries face challenges from wildfires during an extremely hot and dry summer.
In France and Spain, around a third of a million people had to evacuate their homes due to rapidly spreading fires.
Others were forced to take shelter as ash and toxic smoke poisoned the sky, with enormous thunderstorms called pyrocumulonimbus clouds formed as a result.
