Two helicopters collide mid-air in Greece, search underway for crew members

1 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 2, 2026 08:20 PM IST

Two firefighter helicopters collided on Sunday while fighting wildfires in the Porto Germeno area west of Athens, fire services said.

According to the Greek fire department, each firefighter helicopter was carrying a two-person crew. The crash took place in the wider area of Psatha, Attica, BBC reported.

According to the statement, the fire department leased the helicopters, and they departed from the Elefsina military airport. A search and rescue operation was launched, as authorities declined to reveal the condition of the crews immediately.

The collision highlighted the threats involved at the most volatile front of Europe’s raging wildfire. Strong winds have driven flames deeper into the capital, Athens, and have forced people to evacuate the region. Thousands of people have been evacuated till now, as the blaze spreads in multiple areas of Greece, including parts of the mainland and tourist destinations.

Greece’s island of Crete has faced major disruption due to wildfires as the blaze burned down thousands of hectares of land and triggered the temporary evacuation of more than 8,000 people, BBC reported.

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