Summary

  • Two crew have died after two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece

  • A British pilot and a Greek crew member survived the crash, and have been taken to hospital for treatment

  • Greek PM, Kyriakos Mitsotakis has shared condolences and his "deepest sorrow" following the incident

  • The two people killed were a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer

  • The collision happened in Psatha, a coastal area west of Athens, on Sunday

  • Greece is one of several European countries suffering wildfires - high winds are likely to be behind the fires' "rapid growth" says our weather presenter

  • Earlier on Sunday, Mitsotakis had said that the country is facing extreme weather conditions and warned of "extremely difficult" days ahead

Live Reporting

Edited by Jamie Whitehead

  1. Greek PM warns of 'extremely difficult' days ahead

    Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a doorstep at the NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, TurkeyReuters

    Earlier on Sunday, Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the country is facing "extreme weather conditions" and warned of "extremely difficult" days ahead amid the ongoing wildfires.

    He says winds have reached 100 kilometres (60 miles) an hour, which means "the dozens of aircraft we have at our disposal cannot operate safely".

    "There are moments when nature and the intensity of weather phenomena surpass any human planning and any operational capability," he writes on Facebook.

    Mitsotakis has also paid tribute to three firefighters who died tackling the wildfires across the country earlier in the week and praised continued efforts of fire crews, volunteers and military personnel.

  2. Greece battles wildfires across multiple fronts

    Firefighters holding a large hose while battling a wildireReuters

    Thousands of people have been evacuated as wildfires rage in multiple areas of Greece, including parts of the mainland and tourist destinations.

    On the island of Crete, fires have burned thousands of hectares of land and prompted the temporary evacuation of 8,000 people.

    About 500 people, mostly tourists, were also evacuated in central Greece on Friday.

    Fires have also broken out on the islands of Paros, Andros and Kalymnos.

  3. What we know so far about helicopter collision in Greece

    The collision occurred during firefighting efforts in Greece - here's what we do and don't know.

    What we know

    • Two helicopters are involved, each with a crew of two people, according to the fire service
    • In a statement, it describes them as Bell helicopters leased by the fire department
    • The crash took place in the wider area of ​​Psatha, west of Athens
    • A search and rescue operation is described as "under way"

    What we don't know

    • What caused the helicopters to collide
    • The status of the crew - or their identities

  4. Search and rescue operation under way after two firefighting helicopters crash in Greece

    Two helicopters have crashed in Greece while fighting wildfires west of Athens, the fire service has said.

    The incident is described as having taken place in the wider area of ​​Psatha, Attica.

    The helicopters were leased by the fire department and each had a crew of two people, having taken off from the Elefsina military airport, the statement says.

    A search and rescue operation is under way.