Two helicopters collide while fighting wildfires in Greece

Published: 15:09, 2 August 2026 | Updated: 15:29, 2 August 2026 Video captured the moment two helicopters crashed into each other mid-air while fighting wildfires in Greece. Emergency services were called after the aircraft collided in the Psatha region, west of Athens. The BELL helicopters were each carrying two passengers and had taken off from the Elefsina military airport. Striking footage shows one of the aircraft slowly approaching the other - before their choppers clash and the helicopter erupts into a fireball before plummeting to the ground. Hundreds of firefighters were today battling wind-fuelled fires near Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth, northwest of the capital. Authorities said strong winds made the fire spread more quickly and made it unpredictable for firefighters. 'The situation is extremely hard, especially today. We have really strong winds, gusts exceeding 73 kph (45 mph). The direction of the fire can’t be determined easily,' doctor and firefighter Giorgos Doulas said. The fire department's deputy spokesman Yiannis Artopios told state TV ERT that the wind was so strong that firefighters on the scene 'couldn't even open their vehicle doors'. Nearly 500 Greek firefighters have been deployed to the region, assisted by emergency crew from France and Romania.  Two helicopters have crashed into each other while fighting wildfires in Greece The aircraft are seen plummeting to the ground following the collision The aircraft were both carrying two passengers and had taken off from the Elefsina military airport Over 100 homes have been destroyed amid gale-force winds that have fueled flames in the area. A military firing range is among the sites affected.  More than 200 people from the town of Agios Vasileios had to be evacuated by sea last week. Around 500 people, mostly tourists, were left stranded after a fire broke out near the village in Viotia, central Greece, on Friday morning and rapidly spread in strong winds, local media reported. Footage showed residents and holidaymakers boarding boats as volunteers and rescue teams worked to remove those from the town. Other videos showed how smoke swirled around in the air as people flocked to board vessels. People there had previously been told by authorities to move inland before the fire reached the outskirts of the town. Wildfires have also affected the Peloponnese peninsula and the islands of Crete, Paros and Lesvos - popular tourist destinations. A Greek firefighter tries to extinguish a wildfire in the area of Porto Germeno A firefighter stands as flames rise during a wildfire in Greece A firefighting helicopter drops water over a wildfire in the area of Porto Germeno, just 45 miles of Athens  Authorities said strong winds made the fire spread more quickly and made it unpredictable  While the Foreign Office does not advise against travelling to Greece it said 'there is a high risk of wildfires'. It added that travellers should ensure that their 'mobile phone is registered to receive emergency alerts to be warned of wildfires'. Europe has been ravaged by wildfires this summer after successive record-breaking heatwaves, leaving vast stretches of drought-parched vegetation primed to burn, and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. In Italy, authorities put nearly all of its major cities on the highest 'red' alert for high temperatures as a new heatwave threatened to grip the country. Some 19 cities including Rome, Milan, Venice and Naples will now be on the alert as temperatures are set to hit the mid 30s C next week. Successive heatwaves have created favourable conditions for wildfires across Europe and Britain. A wildfire in Suffolk this week burnt 371 acres - equivalent to 210 football pitches and took hold near Britain's biggest nuclear power station Sizewell B. High temperatures can also be unsafe and could be dangerous even to healthy and active people, not just the elderly, the very young or people with chronic illness. Austria recorded 395 heat-related deaths in June. Earlier this week, 2,877 people died from heat in Britain so far this year, while France reported 5,664 excess deaths in the country between June 17 and July 2. Germany's health authority recorded around 9,800 deaths this year linked to high temperatures. This is a breaking news story. More to come