Two members of a helicopter crew battling a forest fire on the Greek island of Samos died when it crashed into the sea, authorities said on Wednesday night (Greece time).
The crew that died in the crash are reportedly a Romanian national and a Greek liaison officer. Two Moldovan nationals also on board have survived, according to a Coast Guard spokeswoman.
“Nine vessels, five from the Coast Guard, two from the army and two private, as well as a helicopter, took part in the rescue operation,” she explained.
The Soviet-era Mi-8 helicopter, leased for firefighting operations from Ukraine, took off from Samos at 4.39 p.m. and crashed off the island at 5.55 pm the Associated Press reported.
All the island’s 27 firefighters plus four planes and a helicopter were fighting the blaze in a forested area on Samos, which lies close to the Turkish coast.
The flames were being fanned by high winds, the Fire Service said.
Συνέχεια ενημέρωσης: Σώος εντοπίστηκε στην ξηρά ο 4ος επιβαίνοντας του ελικοπτέρου που κατέπεσε στην περιοχή ΠΛΑΚΑ νδ της Σάμου #ελικοπτερο #Σαμος
— ΛΙΜΕΝΙΚΟ ΣΩΜΑ (@HCoastGuard) July 13, 2022
