two firefighting helicopters
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Two firefighting helicopters collide as Greece battles wildfires near Athens

Two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air west of Athens while tackling a major wildfire, killing a Greek and a Danish pilot aboard one of the aircraft.

The two crew members on the second helicopter survived and were rescued, while the destroyed aircraft had been leased from Australia’s McDermott Aviation to support Greek operations. The tragic crash occurred as high winds whipped up severe blazes across the region, destroying more than 100 homes overnight in the coastal village of Porto Germeno.

More than 500 firefighters remain deployed to combat the active flames despite extreme weather conditions hampering aerial firefighting efforts.

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