Two helicopters involved in firefighting operations collided mid-air while battling wildfires in the vicinity of Athens, Greece. The Greek fire department has initiated a search and rescue mission in the Psatha area to locate the crews of the two helicopters, each carrying two people.
According to a statement from the fire department, the incident occurred during an aerial firefighting operation involving two BELL helicopters leased by the department. The helicopters, with a crew of two on board each, crashed in the wider region of Psatha in Attica. The search and rescue operation is currently underway after the helicopters took off from the Elefsina military airport.
Greece has been significantly impacted by a series of wildfires that have swept across Europe this summer. Tragically, three firefighters lost their lives while combating blazes in Crete and the mainland earlier this week.