Athens: Two firefighting helicopters collided in midair Sunday afternoon while battling a massive wildfire in Greece’s western Attica, according to Greek national broadcaster ERT.
The helicopters crashed near the coastal area of Psatha shortly after the collision, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.
The pilot of one helicopter managed to contact the Fire Service’s operations centre and reported that the co-pilot had been injured. Rescue operations were underway, the ERT reported.
There was no immediate information on the crew of the second helicopter, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Thursday the end of the national emergency declared over wildfires in the province of Avila and the Madrid region, as fires in the two areas have largely stabilised, while blazes remain active elsewhere amid a new heatwave and strong winds.
At an emergency command centre in Navaluenga, Avila, Sanchez said the decision followed consultations with regional authorities and technical teams. Management of the emergency will now return to regional governments under a lower, Level 2 operational status.
The Burgohondo fire in Avila has burned more than 50,000 hectares and is considered the largest wildfire ever recorded in Spain. The blaze has been technically stabilised, and residents who had been evacuated have been allowed to return home.
Since the start of the year, nearly 130,000 hectares have burned across Spain, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
Thousands of firefighters, soldiers, police officers and civil protection personnel have been deployed across the affected areas. The Military Emergency Unit continues to play a central role in protecting communities and critical infrastructure while supporting regional firefighting teams.
Spain has also activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, under which Greece and Italy each offered two Canadair firefighting aircraft, together with an additional support aircraft.
