Amidst efforts to control the devastating wildfires on the Greek island of Evia, two air force pilots tragically lost their lives when their water-bombing plane crashed, as per official reports. The accident occurred near Platanistos as the pilots were combatting a forest fire.
Commander Christos Moulas, aged 34, and his co-pilot, 27-year-old Pericles Stefanidis, were the identified victims of the crash. Their valiant efforts were being made in the midst of a severe European heatwave that has ignited wildfires across regions including Sicily, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Footage aired on Greek TV captured the ill-fated Canadair aircraft flying at low altitude to douse the fire before it made a sharp turn into a hillside, instantly engulfing in flames. The plane crash site was near the town of Karystos on the island, where a fire had been blazing.
The fallen aircraft was part of a team comprising at least three other aircraft and around 100 firefighters striving to quench the fires on Evia. In tribute to the fallen pilots, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias stated that they gave 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.” The defense ministry has declared a three-day mourning period in the Greek armed forces.
Greek government minister Vassilis Kikilias reported that emergency teams were persistently battling fires on numerous fronts on Tuesday. He also stated that Crete, the largest Greek island, has been set on high alert, with inhabitants warned of an “extreme risk” of fire.
Evacuation operations have escalated from Rhodes, with over 20,000 people having been removed from homes and resorts in the past few days. An international panel of scientists has claimed that such extreme conditions could not possibly have occurred without the influence of human-induced climate change.
