In the heart of the Aegean, on the serene Greek island of Evia, a devastating incident occurred recently. A Canadair CL-215 plane, purpose-built for battling wildfires, met a tragic end as it plummeted dramatically into a hillside on Tuesday. It immediately ignited into an uncontrollable inferno. The Greek air force confirmed that both crew members onboard lost their lives in the horrendous crash.
Moments before the catastrophic crash, the extinguishing aircraft had been diligently dousing an island fire. However, post the firefighting operation, the airplane made a fatal collision with a hillside, erupting immediately into a fireball.
Following the crash, helicopters swiftly swung into action attempting a search and rescue mission. The mission, unfortunately, resulted futile as both occupants had perished in the incident. The confirmation was relayed by the air force to Reuters.
The somber picture of a Canadair aircraft peppering water onto a roaring wildfire, taken on July 25, 2023, in Vati village on Rhodes, another Greek island, signified the relentless firefighting efforts across the nation.
Terrifying footage of the flight's final moments was broadcasted on the state-owned ERT. The plane appeared to have clipped a tree before it nose-dived into a ravine close to the original fire's origin, reports Agence France-Presse.
Responding to the tragic devastations, the country's Ministry of Defense announced a three-day mourning period. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking in an address on Tuesday, reflected on the challenging summer that lay ahead.
Prior to the tragic incident, the prime minister openly stated the difficulties associated with using outdated water bombers from the 1960s. He urged for fleet modernization and cited its urgency through an action plan for improvements by 2026.
The wildfire atrocities continue to haunt other Greek islands as well, with Rhodes and Corfu being prime examples. More than 20,000 individuals have been evacuated from Rhodes alone due to the wildfire outbreak.
Describing the grueling challenge posed by the wildfires, Greece's Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, reported over 50 daily fire incidents. Greece, among other Mediterranean countries, is currently weathering a fierce heatwave, with temperatures smashing the 100-degree Fahrenheit mark.
In solidarity and swift response on this severe environmental conundrum, the European Union has sent aid, providing firefighters, vehicles, and aircraft. Further reinforcements come from Turkey, Israel, and Egypt, offering assistance in these dire circumstances.
