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28 July 2023
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Pilots die after Greek fire fighting aircraft crashes while fighting a wildfire
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Two Greek Air Force pilots have died after a plane crashed on Tuesday, 25 July 2023, while fighting wildfires on the Greek island of Evia, fire department spokesman Yannis Artopios said. "A Greek Canadair plane with at least two people on board crashed near Platanisto," Artopios said, referring to a village on the island.
The pilots were named as 34-year-old Cdr Christos Moulas and his co-pilot, 27-year-old Pericles Stefanidis. Moulas was a father-to-be, according to Greek newspaper Proto Thema. The two pilots belonged to the Greek Air Force, according to information from the Ministry of Defence, quoted by state broadcaster ERT.
According to initial information from the authorities, the aircraft, which was taking part with at least three other aircraft and around 100 fire fighters in the fight against the flames on the island near Athens, crashed into a ravine. The crash occurred at around 12h40GMT.
State broadcaster ERT published the video of the aircraft as it crashed and disappeared behind a cloud of flames and black smoke. The plane appeared to clip a tree moments after it dropped water on the wildfire, causing it to bank suddenly to its right dangerously close to the ground. As the plane banked in the air for another fly-over, it rapidly lost altitude and was unable to make it over the hill and instead nose-dived into the hillside.
Two helicopters went to the scene to carry out a search and rescue operation, the Air Force said.
The accident occurred on the heights of Karystos, where a fire started on Sunday.
Emergency teams were fighting flames non-stop on dozens of fronts on Tuesday, Greek Government minister Vassilis Kikilias said. Crete, the largest Greek island, has been put on high alert, with residents warned there is an "extreme risk" of fire.
More evacuation flights are taking place from Rhodes, while more than 20 000 people have been evacuated from homes and resorts in recent days.
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said the pilots lost their lives "in the line of duty... while attempting to protect the lives and property of citizens, as well as the environment of our country".
A three-day mourning period has been declared in the Greek armed forces, the defence ministry said.
Wildfires in Greece
Greece has been plagued by fires and scorching temperatures for more than ten days.
The accident occurred as Greece battled wildfires on three major fronts, including the tourist islands of Rhodes and Corfu, with many of the country's regions listed at extreme risk of dangerous forest fires exacerbated by strong winds.
Thousands have been forced to flee homes, hotels and resorts on foot to escape, with some people on the island of Rhodes walking for 12 hours to safety in heat pushing 40 degrees.
Hundreds of fire fighters, helped by forces from Turkey and Slovakia, were battling fires on the island since Wednesday and resurged in hot, windy conditions.
More emergency flights were due to take home holidaymakers Tuesday, 25 July 2023.
Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, said, 'For the 12th day, under extreme conditions of heat and strong winds, we are fighting non-stop on dozens of forest fire fronts... The Greek Fire Service has battled more than 500 fires, more than 50 a day.'
The European Union has sent 500 fire fighters, 100 vehicles and seven planes from 10 member states, while Turkey, Israel, Egypt and other countries have also sent help.
Mitsotakis said on Tuesday the next days would be difficult, with conditions possibly improving after Thursday. “All of us are standing guard”, he said. “In the face of what the entire planet is facing, especially the Mediterranean which is a climate change hot-spot, there is no magical defence mechanism, if there was we would have implemented it.”
An assessment by scientists on Tuesday said human-induced climate change has played an 'absolutely overwhelming' role in the extreme heatwaves that have swept across North America, southern Europe and China this month.
In Greece, a prosecutor on Rhodes launched an investigation into the causes of the fires and the preparedness and response of authorities, state broadcaster ERT said. It said about 10 percent of the island's land area had burned.
Wildfires have also been reported in Croatia, France, mainland Italy, Spain, Turkey and Russia.
Sources: BBC News, Euro News, Associated Press
The pilots were named as 34-year-old Cdr Christos Moulas and his co-pilot, 27-year-old Pericles Stefanidis. Moulas was a father-to-be, according to Greek newspaper Proto Thema. The two pilots belonged to the Greek Air Force, according to information from the Ministry of Defence, quoted by state broadcaster ERT.
According to initial information from the authorities, the aircraft, which was taking part with at least three other aircraft and around 100 fire fighters in the fight against the flames on the island near Athens, crashed into a ravine. The crash occurred at around 12h40GMT.
State broadcaster ERT published the video of the aircraft as it crashed and disappeared behind a cloud of flames and black smoke. The plane appeared to clip a tree moments after it dropped water on the wildfire, causing it to bank suddenly to its right dangerously close to the ground. As the plane banked in the air for another fly-over, it rapidly lost altitude and was unable to make it over the hill and instead nose-dived into the hillside.
Two helicopters went to the scene to carry out a search and rescue operation, the Air Force said.
The accident occurred on the heights of Karystos, where a fire started on Sunday.
Emergency teams were fighting flames non-stop on dozens of fronts on Tuesday, Greek Government minister Vassilis Kikilias said. Crete, the largest Greek island, has been put on high alert, with residents warned there is an "extreme risk" of fire.
More evacuation flights are taking place from Rhodes, while more than 20 000 people have been evacuated from homes and resorts in recent days.
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said the pilots lost their lives "in the line of duty... while attempting to protect the lives and property of citizens, as well as the environment of our country".
A three-day mourning period has been declared in the Greek armed forces, the defence ministry said.
Wildfires in Greece
Greece has been plagued by fires and scorching temperatures for more than ten days.
The accident occurred as Greece battled wildfires on three major fronts, including the tourist islands of Rhodes and Corfu, with many of the country's regions listed at extreme risk of dangerous forest fires exacerbated by strong winds.
Thousands have been forced to flee homes, hotels and resorts on foot to escape, with some people on the island of Rhodes walking for 12 hours to safety in heat pushing 40 degrees.
Hundreds of fire fighters, helped by forces from Turkey and Slovakia, were battling fires on the island since Wednesday and resurged in hot, windy conditions.
More emergency flights were due to take home holidaymakers Tuesday, 25 July 2023.
Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, said, 'For the 12th day, under extreme conditions of heat and strong winds, we are fighting non-stop on dozens of forest fire fronts... The Greek Fire Service has battled more than 500 fires, more than 50 a day.'
The European Union has sent 500 fire fighters, 100 vehicles and seven planes from 10 member states, while Turkey, Israel, Egypt and other countries have also sent help.
Mitsotakis said on Tuesday the next days would be difficult, with conditions possibly improving after Thursday. “All of us are standing guard”, he said. “In the face of what the entire planet is facing, especially the Mediterranean which is a climate change hot-spot, there is no magical defence mechanism, if there was we would have implemented it.”
An assessment by scientists on Tuesday said human-induced climate change has played an 'absolutely overwhelming' role in the extreme heatwaves that have swept across North America, southern Europe and China this month.
In Greece, a prosecutor on Rhodes launched an investigation into the causes of the fires and the preparedness and response of authorities, state broadcaster ERT said. It said about 10 percent of the island's land area had burned.
Wildfires have also been reported in Croatia, France, mainland Italy, Spain, Turkey and Russia.
Sources: BBC News, Euro News, Associated Press
