2 pilots dead after crashing plane while fighting wildfires in Greece
Two Greek air force pilots were killed in a plane crash while fighting raging wildfires in their country on Tuesday — a tragic scene that was captured on local TV.
Footage showed the Canadair CL-215 plane flying low and dumping water over flames before the aircraft suddenly turned, crashed into a hillside and burst into flames on the island of Evia, east of Athens.
The pilots were identified by Greek officials as Christos Moulas, 34, and his co-pilot, Pericles Stefanidis, 27, the BBC reported.
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said the pilots died “in the line of duty… while attempting to protect the lives and property of citizens, as well as the environment of our country.”
The victims were identified as Christos Moulas, 34, and his co-pilot, Pericles Stefanidis, 27. AFP via Getty Images
The plane went down after dumping water on a fire in Karystos on the island of Evia in Greece. ERT/AFP via Getty Images
Separately, a 41-year-old stockbreeder who had been missing since Sunday was found dead in a shack in a tough-to-reach area of the island, State broadcaster ERT reported.
The deaths are the first reported in Greece as hundreds of firefighters, aided by Turkish and Slovakia forces, battle wildfires raging on the islands of Rhodes, Corfu and Evia for nearly a week as the Mediterranean suffocates under an intense heat wave.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told ministers on Tuesday that conditions could possibly improve by 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 defense mechanism.”
The plane made a sharp turn before crashing into a hillside, killing both pilots. ERT/AFP via Getty Images
Rescuers work at the site where a firefighting plane crashed after a water drop on Tuesday. REUTERS
Scorching temperatures could reach as high as 111 degrees in some areas of Greece on Wednesday.
In Rhodes, more than 20,000 have been evacuated from hotels and resorts via aircraft as the fast-moving fire spread from the island’s interior to its popular tourist destinations on the coast.
About 3,000 vacationers had returned home by plane by Tuesday and tour operators canceled upcoming trips on the tourist-dependent island. In Greece, tourism accounts for 1 in 5 jobs and the islands are especially reliant on the industry.
The blaze has left behind acres of charred land, damaged buildings and dead animals.
The mayor of Rhodes said on Facebook the island was facing an unprecedented emergency.
Wildfires raged in the forests near the village of Vati in the southern part of the Greek island of Rhodes. AFP via Getty Images
20,000 people have been evacuated from the island of Rhodes, officials said. AP
The cause of the fire is under investigation, as are authorities’ preparedness and response to the fire, ERT reported.
About 10% of the island’s land area had burned, according to the outlet.
In other parts of the Mediterranean, the island Sicily has been fighting fires after weeks of record-breaking temperatures, according to the BBC. The city of Palermo was “encircled” by fires, including a blaze that forced Palermo airport to temporarily close on Tuesday, according to local reports.
In Algeria in northern Africa, wildfires have killed at least 34 people and forced the evacuation of more than 1,500.
Fires also raged in neighboring Tunisia, where temperatures reached 120 degrees.
With Post wires
Source: New York Post
