A Briton is reported to be among the survivors after two Greek firefighting helicopters crashed while battling wildfires west of Athens, in an accident that killed two people. A Greek national and a Danish national died when the helicopters went down near the Greek capital, as firefighters were battling huge flames in the Attica region.
The two helicopters had been deployed to support firefighting operations in Attica, the broader area around Athens. The incident occurred west of Athens, where crews were working to control a large blaze. A British national, described in reports as a pilot, was among those who survived. The early reports did not include details of the survivor's condition or say whether anyone else involved had escaped serious injury.
The collision happened during a period of intense firefighting activity in the region, with ground crews and aircraft working side by side against the flames. Firefighting helicopters were being used in the operation, and the two aircraft were reportedly part of that effort when they crashed. The deaths of the Greek and Danish nationals were confirmed in accounts of the accident, but their names have not been released in the reports available so far.
The incident has drawn particular attention because a British pilot is reported to have been involved in the same operation and to have survived. The account of the crash said the British citizen was among the survivors while the two others died. The multinational nature of the personnel involved underlines how firefighting resources in Greece can include crew members from different countries.
The crash took place in an area where flames had been reported as huge and where the firefighting response was already under way. Firefighters were tackling the blaze in Attica, close to Athens, when the collision happened. The loss of two crew members has highlighted the dangers of low-level flying during wildfire suppression.
The early reports did not include an official account of the sequence of events. What is known is that two helicopters went down, a Greek and a Danish crew member were killed, and a British pilot survived. West of Athens, where the crash occurred, remains an area of active firefighting activity. The full extent of the damage to the aircraft and the precise circumstances of the collision have not yet been established from the information available.
