Two crew members were killed after two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air while battling wildfires in Greece, while two others, including a British pilot, survived the crash.
The victims were identified as a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer, the BBC reported.
The survivors were a British pilot and a Greek fire service coordinator aboard the second helicopter.
Video from the crash site, about 65 kilometres (42 miles) west of Athens, shows one Bell helicopter striking the rotors of the other before bursting into flames and crashing into a ravine. The second aircraft managed to make an emergency landing.
The collision occurred as Greece continues to battle a series of wildfires that have triggered mass evacuations. Several other European countries have also been affected by destructive blazes amid prolonged heatwaves.
WATCH: Two firefighting helicopters crash while fighting a wildfire in Greece. pic.twitter.com/EM3EF3OGLs
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 2, 2026
According to the Greek Fire Service, the two Bell helicopters, leased from Australian company McDermott Aviation, collided on Sunday while taking part in efforts to contain a major wildfire along the Attica-Boeotia border.
The crew of one helicopter was rescued alive, while the occupants of the second aircraft were recovered unconscious and later pronounced dead.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his “deepest sorrow” over the accident.
In a post on X, Mitsotakis said the deaths of the Greek coordinator and the Danish pilot “fill us all with grief” and extended his condolences to their families.
A source from Greece’s civil protection ministry told the BBC that, in line with protocol, all Bell helicopters operating across the country have been grounded following the collision.
The source added that the second Bell helicopter involved in the accident made an emergency landing in an area of low vegetation.
“The two people on board, a British pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer, escaped with minor injuries,” the source said.
“Both remained conscious and have been admitted to hospital, where they will remain under observation for 24 hours as a precaution.”
The source also said the British survivor was a private pilot hired for the wildfire season and was not part of any exchange programme between the United Kingdom and Greece. There had been no request for assistance from Athens.
Meanwhile, Greek newspaper Ekathimerini reported that the two survivors immediately alerted authorities to the collision, helping guide rescue teams to the crash site.