Two Firefighting Helicopters Collide Near Athens Amid Widespread Wildfires
The Greek Fire Department announced that on Sunday, two firefighting helicopters collided while combating wildfires west of Athens. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the crew members of these helicopters.
This incident occurred as extensive wildfires in northwest Athens have destroyed over 100 homes, with efforts to control the flames still ongoing. The spread of the fire into residential areas has heightened residents’ concerns.
Greece is part of a widespread wave of wildfires that have affected various parts of Europe this summer, a phenomenon intensified by prolonged heat and reduced rainfall.
Previously, France and Spain also faced severe forest fires. According to published statistics, more than 150,000 hectares of land in Spain and around 115,000 hectares in France have burned this year.
At the same time, drought in several European countries has led to an unprecedented drop in water levels of major rivers such as the Rhine and the Danube. Reports indicate that the Danube’s water level in Hungary, Serbia, and Romania has reached its lowest recorded point.
Peter Marki-Zay, the Prime Minister of Hungary, warned on Sunday that his country is facing five critical days ahead. He stated that the decrease in the Danube’s water level has caused Hungary’s only nuclear power plant to shut down for the first time in four decades, coinciding with the arrival of a new heatwave.
The decline in river water levels has also disrupted energy production, maritime transport, and tourism, resulting in water consumption restrictions in over 100 cities and villages.
