Video: Firefighting plane crashes in Greece as wildfires rage; pilots feared dead

A firefighting plane, with two pilots on board, crashed on the Greek island of Evia on Tuesday as wildfires continue to rage across the country. Aired on a state television broadcast, the video shows a plane hovering over the jungle and suddenly disappearing into a canyon. A fireball erupted moments later as the plane crashed into the forest floor. There is no information about the plane's crew yet.

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It crashed into a ravine on the heights of Karystos, where a fire started on Sunday, Greek officials told AFP.

"A Greek Canadair plane, with at least two people on board, crashed near Platanisto," a village in Evia, spokesman Yannis Artopios said.

The two pilots missing were members of the Greek Air Force, according to information from the Greek Ministry of Defence, quoted by state TV ERT.

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Thousands have been evacuated so far as out-of-control wildfires spread across the country. A third successive heatwave has pushed the temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius across parts of the European country.

The wildfires have forced mass evacuations in several tourist spots including on the islands of Rhodes and Corfu. According to authorities, more than 20,000 people have been involved in successive evacuations on the island, mostly tourists over the weekend when fires swept through two coastal areas in the southeast of Rhodes.

“For the twelfth day, under extreme conditions of heat and strong winds, we are fighting nonstop on dozens of forest fire fronts. ... The Greek Fire Service has battled more than 500 fires — more than 50 a day,” Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for climate crisis and civil protection, was quoted as saying by news agency AP.

To aid the country's battle against the fire, the European Union sent 500 firefighters, 100 vehicles, and seven planes from 10 member states, while Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and other countries have also sent help.

(With agency inputs)

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