Two water-bombing helicopters collided in Greece, two dead

Two helicopters fighting forest fires west of Athens collided mid-air on Sunday. Two crew members died in the crash, while two others survived.

Images of the collision circulated on social media, showing the moment the two aircraft collided in Greek airspace. The accident occurred while the crews were responding to forest fires raging west of the capital.

According to Greek authorities, two of the four crew members on board the two helicopters died in the crash. The other two survived, but their condition was not immediately known.

Greece is regularly struck by large-scale fires during the summer, requiring significant aerial resources. Collisions between aircraft simultaneously fighting the same fire are one of the inherent risks of low-altitude water bombing operations.