Video: Firefighting airplane crashes in Greece, pilots feared lifeless | World News

A firefighting airplane, with two pilots on board, crashed on the Greek island of Evia on Tuesday as wildfires proceed to rage all through the nation. Aired on a state television broadcast, the video reveals a airplane hovering over the jungle and instantly disappearing proper right into a canyon. A fireball erupted moments later as a result of the airplane crashed into the forest floor. There isn’t any particulars in regards to the airplane’s crew however.

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It crashed proper right into a ravine on the heights of Karystos, the place a fire started on Sunday, Greek officers knowledgeable AFP.

“A Greek Canadair airplane, with not lower than two of us on board, crashed near Platanisto,” a village in Evia, spokesman Yannis Artopios talked about.

The two pilots missing had been members of the Greek Air Drive, based mostly on information from the Greek Ministry of Defence, quoted by state TV ERT.

1000’s have been evacuated so far as out-of-control wildfires unfold all through the nation. A third successive heatwave has pushed the temperatures above 40 ranges Celsius all through parts of the European nation.

The wildfires have compelled mass evacuations in quite a few vacationer spots along with on the islands of Rhodes and Corfu. In keeping with authorities, higher than 20,000 of us have been involved in successive evacuations on the island, principally vacationers over the weekend when fires swept by way of two coastal areas inside the southeast of Rhodes.

“For the twelfth day, beneath extreme circumstances of heat and sturdy winds, we’re stopping nonstop on dozens of forest fireplace fronts. … The Greek Fireside Service has battled higher than 500 fires — higher than 50 a day,” Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for native climate catastrophe and civil security, was quoted as saying by info firm AP.

To help the nation’s battle in the direction of the fireplace, the European Union despatched 500 firefighters, 100 autos, and seven planes from 10 member states, whereas Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and completely different worldwide areas have moreover despatched help.

(With firm inputs)