The fire service reported that rented “Bell” helicopters collided while extinguishing a forest fire in the Psata area, located west of Athens.
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“Search and rescue teams were immediately mobilized to find the crews and provide them with assistance,” the service stated.
Greece is battling a series of forest fires that are believed to have devastated vast areas of forest and agricultural land, and is trying to assess the growing damage, while the prime minister warned of very difficult days ahead.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece faced “extreme weather conditions and winds” with speeds often reaching 27.8 m per second.
“When winds blow with such force, even dozens of our available aircraft cannot operate safely,” he wrote on the social network Facebook. “There are moments when nature and the intensity of weather phenomena surpass any human planning and any operational capabilities.”
Nearly 500 firefighters fought fires around the popular coastal village of Porto Germeno, located about 70 km northwest of Athens, the fire department reported.
They are trying to prevent the fire from approaching the western outskirts of Athens after it crossed over a mountain during the night.
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About 100 firefighters fought another fire in the northern part of the Peloponnese.
