Two pilots die as firefighting airplane crashes in southern Greece
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wo pilots died after their airplane that was spraying water over a wildfire in southern Greece crashed on Tuesday, as hearth crews continued to battle blazes throughout southern Europe.
Greece’s air power confirmed that the pilots have been killed within the crash on the island of Evia on Tuesday.
They have been named by the Greek defence ministry as 34-year-old Commander Christos Moulas and his co-pilot, 27-year-old Pericles Stefanidis.
It got here as authorities continued to evacuate Britons on the fire-ravaged island of Rhodes on Tuesday, with vacation operators cancelling flights and holidays. Civil safety authorities warned that Crete was additionally prone to excessive wildfires whereas a “red alert” hearth danger was issued for Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza as a consequence of excessive warmth.
Temperatures are set to achieve 44C in some areas of Greece on Wednesday.
Footage in a state tv broadcast confirmed the low-flying plane disappearing right into a canyon earlier than a fireball is seen moments later.
State broadcaster ERT stated the incident occurred over the city of Karystos on the island close to Athens, the place a fireplace has been burning.
It is believed the airplane clipped a tree earlier than plunging into the ravine.
The Greek defence ministry declared a three-day interval of mourning for the pilots .
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias stated they misplaced their lives “in the line of duty… while attempting to protect the lives and property of citizens, as well as the environment of our country”.
“Our thoughts are with their families and colleagues, to whom we extend our most sincere condolences.”
Repatriation flights from Rhodes landed within the UK in a single day and on Tuesday as holidaymakers spoke of their “traumatic” experiences being evacuated from lodges and sleeping in faculties, airports and sports activities centres on the Greek island.
The Foreign Office estimate that as many as 10,000 Britons are in Rhodes and an additional 30,000 are as a consequence of head there within the subsequent few weeks, in line with The Times.
Many journey corporations are persevering with to function flights to the island because the Foreign Office has not formally suggested Britons towards journey.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove stated he plans to vacation on the Greek island of Evia, insisting the area is protected to go to.
Thomas Cook stated holidaymakers who “choose to do so” proceed to reach in different elements of the island whereas easyJet stated it had solely cancelled bundle holidays to affected areas of the island.
Croatia was additionally battling wildfires on Tuesday evening, with a firefighting airplane making an attempt to douse a blaze on a mountainside in Župa Dubrovačka, close to Dubrovnik. Almost 100 firefighters have been on the scene and a number of other automobiles, in line with native media.
In Italy, seven individuals died following wildfires in Sicily and violent storms within the north.
Palermo airport was closed briefly after a fireplace triggered by 47C temperatures. Authorities responded to greater than 55 wildfires throughout the island, in line with the Guardian.
Ferocious storms additionally claimed the lives of 4 individuals within the northern mainland province of Lombardy, together with a 16-year-old woman.
About 20,000 individuals needed to depart houses and lodges in Rhodes over the weekend as an inferno unfold and reached coastal resorts on the island’s southeast, after charring land, killing animals and damaging buildings.
Thousands of Brits have been flown again from the island – with many extra dealing with their summer time holidays being cancelled.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned of powerful days forward, with circumstances probably bettering after Thursday.
“All of us are standing guard,” he said. “In the face of what the entire planet is facing, especially the Mediterranean which is a climate change hot-spot, there is no magical defence mechanism, if there was we would have implemented it.”
On Rhodes an investigation has been launched into the causes of the fires and the preparedness and response of authorities, state broadcaster ERT said. It said about 10 per cent of the island’s land area had burned.
An assessment by scientists published on Tuesday said human-induced climate change has played an “absolutely overwhelming” function within the excessive heatwaves which have swept throughout North America, southern Europe and China this month.