Firefighting plane crashes in Greece as wildfires rage
Jul 25, 2023
Athens [Greece], July 25 : A plane involved in fighting fires crashed on the island of Evia as blazes in Greece continue to destroy homes and cause the evacuation of thousands of residents and visitors, reported Al Jazeera.
Videos of the plane pouring water on fire were posted on social media by the state broadcaster ERT. After that, it is seen falling into a mountainside and catching fire.
According to the air force, two helicopters rushed to the location to conduct a search and rescue mission. It provided no information regarding the fate of the crew, a group of two airmen.
According to a statement from the air force, the Canadian CL-215 jet went down in Platanistos, Evia, shortly after 3 pm (12:00 GMT).
“A search and rescue operation is under way for the two airmen. 1 Super Puma helicopter and 1 AB-205 helicopter of the Air Force, as well as 1 S-70 helicopter of the Navy have rushed to the area,” the air force added.
Greece has been fighting wildfires for the past week.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that the Mediterranean nation is “at war” with the wildfires blazing across the country.
“For the next few weeks, we must be on constant alert. We are at war,” the prime minister told parliament, adding, “We will rebuild what we lost. We will compensate those who were hurt. … The climate crisis is already here. It will manifest itself everywhere in the Mediterranean with greater disasters.”
He also warned that the country faced “another three difficult days ahead” before high temperatures are forecast to ease, Al Jazeera reported.
