Firefighting helicopters collide in Greece; two pilots from the second aircraft killed
According to initial reports, the helicopters appear to have collided in mid-air. The authorities are investigating the causes of the accident
Two firefighting helicopters collided whilst battling a forest fire in the Psatha area, west of Athens, the fire service reported on Sunday. “Search and rescue teams were immediately mobilised to locate and assist the crews,” it added. According to initial reports, the two helicopters are believed to have collided in mid-air. An eyewitness said they saw the two helicopters touch, heard a loud noise and then saw them disappear behind the mountain.
Two helicopter pilots killed
Two crew members from one of the two helicopters lost their lives following the mid-air collision. This was announced by a fire service spokesperson. “The pilots were taken to hospital unconscious, where they were pronounced dead,” said Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, the fire service’s communications director, in a television interview. The first crew to be found, however, sustained only minor injuries and were able to communicate immediately after the accident.
An earlier version of this article reported that both crews had been rescued
