Athens, August 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Two firefighting helicopters collided in midair on Sunday while battling a major wildfire in western Attica, Greece, triggering an emergency rescue operation near the coastal area of Psatha.
According to Greece’s national broadcaster ERT, the aircraft crashed shortly after the collision while participating in efforts to contain the rapidly spreading blaze. One of the helicopter pilots managed to contact the Fire Service’s operations centre and reported that the co-pilot had sustained injuries.
Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the crash site. However, there was no immediate information regarding the condition or whereabouts of the crew members aboard the second helicopter.
The incident occurred as southern European countries continue to grapple with severe wildfire seasons driven by extreme heat and dry conditions.
In neighbouring Spain, authorities have begun scaling back emergency measures after major wildfires in Avila province and the Madrid region were largely brought under control. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that the national emergency declared for the affected areas had been lifted following consultations with regional authorities and technical experts.
The devastating Burgohondo wildfire in Avila, which has burned more than 50,000 hectares, has been described as the largest wildfire ever recorded in Spain. Officials said the blaze has been technically stabilised, allowing evacuated residents to return to their homes.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System, nearly 130,000 hectares have been ravaged by wildfires across Spain since the beginning of the year.
Spain has deployed thousands of firefighters, soldiers, police personnel and civil protection teams to combat the fires. It also activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, under which Greece and Italy each offered two Canadair firefighting aircraft along with additional support resources to assist firefighting operations.
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