A Sunshine Coast-based aviation company has confirmed two of its firefighting helicopters were involved in a fatal mid-air collision while battling wildfires in Greece on Sunday.
McDermott Aviation said the two helicopters, each carrying a crew of two, were involved in the incident near Psatha, Greece.
The company confirmed two crew members aboard one of the helicopters died, while the two crew members from the second helicopter survived and are receiving medical care.
McDermott Aviation founder and president John McDermott said the company was devastated by the tragedy.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that the two crew members aboard one of the helicopters have lost their lives,” he said in a statement issued on Monday.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families, friends and colleagues of those affected by this tragic incident.
“Both crews were undertaking the critical work of supporting firefighting operations to help protect communities.”
The company said it was working closely with the relevant authorities and would continue to assist investigators.
The collision occurred as Greece battled multiple major wildfires, including a large blaze near Porto Germeno, west of Athens.
Greek fire authorities said the two firefighting helicopters collided in the Psatha area of the Attica region.
Two people aboard one helicopter – a Greek and a Danish citizen – died, while the crew aboard the second aircraft, comprising one Greek citizen and one United Kingdom citizen, survived, according to Greece’s fire service. McDermott Aviation has confirmed no Australians were on board either aircraft.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the collision.
Video posted on the Forecast Weather Greece Facebook page appeared to show the two helicopters converging at low altitude before the main rotor of the lower helicopter struck the underside of the other aircraft. The lower helicopter then crashed in flames, while the second helicopter released its load of water and flew away.
The fatal collision came as firefighters battled a fast-moving blaze northwest of Athens that has destroyed more than 100 homes. Gale-force winds pushed flames across mountainous terrain towards populated areas, prompting evacuation orders for several communities in western Attica.
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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the scale of the fires had stretched emergency resources.
“There are moments when the force of nature and the intensity of weather conditions exceed all human planning and every operational capability,” he said in his regular Sunday address.
The wildfires form part of a broader fire emergency across southern Europe, with Greece, France and Spain all battling significant blazes over the weekend.
