Two killed as Greek air force jet crashes at annual air show near Athens

Two pilots were killed when a Greek air force jet crashed at an annual air show north of Athens on Saturday, officials said.Thousands of people were in attendance at Athens Flying Week, which attracts military and civilian aviation teams from dozens of countries, where the twin-seat Phantom F-4 jet crashed during a low-altitude manoeuvre.A fire after the crash sent up large plumes of black smoke. There were no injuries among the spectators or residents in the wider area.“The sense of grief is widespread, and our thoughts are with the families of the two pilots we lost,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. “It is a reminder of the daily danger faced by Greece’s aviators, who remain on constant standby to protect Greece's skies.”Air force officials in Greece said the bodies of the two pilots were located during a rescue operation, hampered in the early stages by the fire on the grounds of Tanagra air force base, 60 kilometres (about 40 miles) north of Athens.Eleven water-dropping planes and helicopters assisted 85 firefighters to contain the blaze, which remained at some distance from the viewing area at the event.The crash started a huge fire at the annual aerial show (AFP/Getty)Organisers cancelled remaining events planned over the weekend, while the fire prompted an evacuation order in an area near the base."We were all stunned. It hadn't been airborne for more than three minutes," an eyewitness told ERT.Video footage of the crash showed a plume of smoke rising from the point of impact, followed by a larger, second explosion that occurred nearby as the plane broke apart.Cyprus' Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said that he had called his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, to express the condolences of his government.“It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of the two officers of the Hellenic Air Force, who lost their lives in the tragic accident that occurred during the air show at Tanagra Air Base,” Palmas wrote in an online post.The air force declared three days of mourning following the crash.