Arrr! Flying contraption met a fiery doom whilst battling wild flames in Greece's southern land. Aye, tragedy strikes!
2023-07-26
Arrr, me hearties! Avast ye! A firefighting air force vessel, aye, was tryin' to quench the burnin' infernos in southern Greece. But alas! She met her doom on Tuesday, takin' two brave pilots to Davy Jones' locker, so they say.
Two pilots aboard a Greek air force water-dropping plane tragically lost their lives when their plane crashed while battling a wildfire in southern Greece. Christos Moulas, 34, and Periklis Stefanidis, 27, were dispatched to extinguish scrub fires near Platanistos on Evia Island. Footage captured the moment the Canadair CL-215 plane attempted to dump water on the burning bushes but instead clipped a tree, causing a piece of wing to fall off. The aircraft then rolled over and nosedived towards the ground, disappearing behind a ridge before a fireball explosion occurred. Eyewitnesses described seeing the plane passing them at a 90-degree angle. Helicopters fighting nearby fires rushed to the crash site, with one dropping water to douse the wreckage and another landing to check on the crew. Europe is currently experiencing a heatwave, resulting in wildfires breaking out across Greece, including on Evia Island and in the Peloponnese region. Wildfires have also affected other Mediterranean countries, with 34 deaths reported in Algeria and two in southern Italy. In Greece, the situation has forced the evacuation of 20,000 people from Rhodes, a popular vacation destination. Travel agencies have canceled flights to the island, with thousands of residents and tourists fleeing to escape the raging fires. Police have conducted evacuations by land and sea, relocating 16,000 individuals from 12 villages and several hotels.