Europe's wildfires: Two helicopters collide while battling fire in Greece

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, while battling a wildfire, killing two crew members, a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot.

🔭 The context: The fires ignited amid strong winds over the weekend, prompting evacuations across the Boeotia and Attica regions as Greece battles multiple wildfire outbreaks this summer, alongside ongoing fires in Spain

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The fatal collision underscores the mounting human and operational toll of increasingly severe, wind-driven wildfire seasons across southern Europe, as prolonged heat and drought push firefighting resources and personnel to their limits

⏭️ What's next: Authorities grounded the helicopter model involved pending an investigation into the collision, while firefighting operations against the ongoing blazes continue

💬 One quote: "The loss of the Greek coordinator and the Danish pilot fills us all with grief." — Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek Prime Minister

📈 One stat: Two firefighting crew members were killed in the mid-air collision

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