Two firefighting helicopters crash while battling raging wildfires in Greece as hundreds evacuated

TWO helicopters have crashed midair in Athens while battling the wildfires raging across Greece. A frantic search and rescue operation is underway to recover the pilots and crews of the downed aircraft. Dramatic footage shows the helicopters crossing flight paths Credit: Credit: X/WeatherMonitors One of the helicopters explodes into a ball of flames on impact Credit: Credit: X/WeatherMonitors The helicopters crashed near Psatha, west of Athens, after taking off from the Elefsina military airport. Dramatic footage shows the two choppers crossing flight paths before smashing into each other. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! One of the helicopters erupts into a ball of flames with debris exploding into the air. The helicopter plummets to the ground following by a stream of thick black smoke. The helicopter plummets to the ground followed by a thick stream of smoke Credit: Credit: X/WeatherMonitors The helicopters were part of an operation to tackle huge wildfires raging across the Greek capital Credit: Getty One of the helicopters appears to fly away from the crash site. Greece’s fire service said in a statement the BELL helicopters had a crew of two people each on board. Rescue teams have reportedly recovered the crew of one of the helicopters, according to local media. Searches are underway to locate the crew of the crashed aircraft. Most read in The Sun The helicopters were part of an operation to tackle a huge wildfire which has destroyed over 100 homes northwest of Athens. Dozens of roaring blazes are being fuelled by gale-force winds across several Greek islands, destroying vegetation and burning houses. On Saturday morning, 29 planes and helicopters began crucial water drops in Viotia, in southern central Greece, where a fire broke out on Friday. Another fresh blaze forced evacuations on the popular tourist island of Kefalonia on Sunday. Nearly 500 Greek firefighters have been deployed to the region, assisted by personnel from France and Romania. Ground forces, including 18 firefighting units and 92 fire engines, reinforced 325 firefighters as they battled ferocious infernos overnight. And firefighters continue to battle a large wildfire on the Greek island of Crete that ignited earlier this week. Around 8,000 people were ordered to move to safety as flames closed in on southern resort villages, destroying homes, farms, and livestock in their path. At least three emergency responders have lost their lives during the crisis, including two firefighters who became trapped in their vehicle near the mountain village of Krya Vrysi. Fires have also broken out on the islands of Paros, Andros and Kalymnos. More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us on TikTok @TheSun. Comment now