Greece Battles Wildfires Amid Extreme Winds; Helicopter Collision Kills Four
Auf einen Blick
- Greece is in its second week of wildfires, exacerbated by extreme Meltemi winds, leading to a helicopter collision in Western Athens that killed a Danish pilot, a Greek fire service official, and two firefighters.
- Water-bombing aircraft resumed operations as winds eased.
KI-generierte Zusammenfassung
Warum es wichtig ist
Greece is experiencing its second week of wildfires, intensified by extreme Meltemi winds, while other Southern European countries also face heatwaves.
Greece is entering its second week of wildfires spread by extreme winds as more countries in Southern Europe battle with heatwaves.
The wildfire, which broke out in Western Attica near the Greek capital Athens, has been worsened by Greece's gusty, dry winds known as Meltemi, which affects the country during July and August. In some areas, the winds have reached speeds of 80 to 100 km per hour, several outlets have reported.
Two firefighters, a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service official died, after two helicopters collided in the Western Athens region on Sunday. Two firefighters in the second helicopter survived after making an emergency landing and are currently in the hospital.
As winds eased on Monday, water-bombing aircrafts took to the skies to continue fighting the flames.
A monster wildfire broke out in France's Bordeaux region in late July and spread to parts of Spain. It has burned hundreds of thousands of acres across the two countries. Described as an "unprecedented" and "historic" situation, it forced the largest evacuation in France's history.
Offene Fragen
- How did the two helicopters collide?
- What is the current extent of the damage in Greece?
