Two crew members have been killed after two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air while battling wildfires in Greece, with a British pilot and another Greek official surviving the crash.

The collision occurred on Sunday as the two Bell helicopters were fighting a major wildfire on the Attica-Boeotia border, about 65 kilometres west of Athens.

The victims were identified as a Danish pilot and a Greek Fire Service liaison officer. The second helicopter, carrying a British pilot and another Greek fire service coordinator, made an emergency landing, with both survivors escaping with minor injuries.

Video footage of the incident showed one helicopter striking the rotor blades of the other before the aircraft burst into flames and crashed into a ravine. The second helicopter managed to land safely in an area of low vegetation.

According to the Greek Fire Service, both helicopters had been leased from Australian aviation company McDermott Aviation for wildfire suppression operations.

A source at Greece’s Civil Protection Ministry said the surviving British pilot, a privately contracted aviator hired for the wildfire season, was not part of any UK-Greece assistance programme. “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.”

Following the accident, Greek authorities grounded all Bell helicopters operating across the country pending investigations into the crash.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed condolences over the tragedy, describing the deaths as a national loss.

In a post on X, Mitsotakis said the loss of the Greek coordinator and Danish pilot “fills us all with grief,” while extending sympathy to their families.

Australian company McDermott Aviation also expressed sorrow over the incident.

Company founder and president John McDermott said: “McDermott Aviation is working closely with the relevant authorities and will continue to assist as they undertake their investigation into the incident.”

He added that “the company’s thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families, friends and colleagues of those affected by this tragic incident.”

Greek media reported that the two surviving crew members immediately alerted emergency services after the collision, helping rescuers locate the crash site quickly.

Despite the accident, firefighting operations continued with Erickson Air-Crane helicopters, Chinook helicopters and Canadair water-bombing aircraft deployed to battle the blazes.

The helicopter crash came as Greece continued to battle multiple wildfires following days of extreme heat, with more than 500 firefighters deployed across affected areas including Porto Germeno, Psatha, Fokida, Megara and Kefalonia.

Elsewhere in Europe, France and Spain have also battled major wildfires in recent days, although authorities say the largest blazes near Madrid and Bordeaux have now been largely contained, allowing hundreds of thousands of evacuated residents to begin returning home.

Scientists say while most wildfires are caused by human activity, climate change has created hotter, drier conditions that allow fires to spread more rapidly and become increasingly destructive. (Arise News)

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