Athens, Aug 3 (dpa/GNA) – Two helicopters have collided and crashed while fighting a fire west of Athens, the Greek broadcaster ERT reported on Sunday.
The pilots of one of the helicopters have made contact with the fire brigade headquarters by radio, but the fate of the crew of the second helicopter remains unclear.
A large-scale search and rescue operation has been launched in the area near the village of Psatha, the fire brigade said. Meanwhile, the flames from the severe fire some 50 kilometres west of Athens have spread to within a few kilometres of the town of Megara, which has a population of around 36,000.
According to initial estimates, more than 10,000 hectares of woodland, as well as houses, barns and agricultural land, has been destroyed since Friday, ERT reported.
GNA