Two people were killed when two firefighting helicopters crashed in Greece, according to Israeli media reports. The incident occurred while battling wildfires northwest of Athens. The figure was updated from an earlier report of one pilot killed.
Israeli media reported shortly before 18:53 Jerusalem on Sunday that the death toll from the collision of two firefighting helicopters near Psatha, northwest of Athens, has risen to two. This updates earlier reports from the Greek fire service and Israeli outlets, which had placed the death toll at one pilot killed, with the crew of the second helicopter rescued.
The Zioneer began tracking the incident at 16:35 Jerusalem on Sunday, when initial reports from the Greek fire service indicated a mid-air collision during wildfire suppression operations. Within the same hour, Israeli media outlets including N12 reported that at least one pilot had been killed. Subsequent reports from Greek media identified the crashed helicopter as a Bayle model and confirmed that the crew of the second helicopter had been rescued safely. The progression of reporting saw the casualty figure converge on one pilot dead and one crew rescued, based on information from the Greek fire service.
The collision occurred as firefighters were battling wildfires in the area, which have been ongoing. The incident is under investigation by Greek authorities. The names of the deceased have not yet been released, and the circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.
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