Two crew members were killed when two leased Bell helicopters collided midair during a wildfire-fighting operation in Greece, local authorities said. The crash occurred while crews were working to contain a large blaze near the Attica-Boeotia border, about 65 kilometres west of Athens. Those killed were identified as a Danish pilot and a liaison officer from the Greek Fire Service.

A British pilot and a Greek coordinator aboard the other helicopter survived and were rescued alive. Video of the accident showed one helicopter striking the other’s rotor, causing a fire before both aircraft crashed into a ravine. Two occupants of the other helicopter were recovered unconscious and later declared dead by doctors after being taken to hospital.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences to the victims’ relatives. All Bell helicopter flights nationwide were temporarily suspended for safety reasons, while firefighting continued using Erickson Air-Crane and Chinook helicopters and Canadair water-bombing aircraft. More than 500 firefighters have worked over the past 72 hours to contain multiple wildfires amid an ongoing heatwave.