Firefighting helicopter crashes off Greek island, killing two

A helicopter battling wildfires crashed off the Greek island of Samos, leaving two people dead.

A Romanian national and a Greek liaison officer died in the crash, while two Moldovan nationals were pulled from the waters and hospitalized, according to a Coast Guard spokeswoman. No one involved has been identified.

The Soviet-era Mi-8 helicopter, leased for firefighting operations from Ukraine, took off from Samos on Wednesday at 4:39 p.m. It crashed just more than an hour later around 5:55 p.m., sparking a huge search effort that included all 27 firefighters on the island, four planes and a helicopter fighting the blaze in a nearby forested area on Samos, which lies close to the Turkish coast.

An helicopter takes part in a search and rescue operation near the eastern Aegean Sea island of Samos, Greece, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. (Michael Svarnias/)

What specifically caused the helicopter to crash remains unclear.

Authorities have said fire crews are struggling to battle back the flames spreading across the island, which have been fanned by strong winds in recent days.

Greece has had a particularly severe wildfire season and first responders from around Europe have traveled to the nation to offer their assistance.

With News Wire Services