Both the pilots on board the Canadair that crashed while trying to drop water over the wildfires in Karystos are dead. The 27-year-old, Pericles Stephanidis, and the 34-year-old, Christos Moulas, pilots of the 355 Tactical Transport Squadron of the 112th Fighter Wing, took off shortly before 12 noon with the CL-215 from the Anchialos airport to Karystos.

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A Canadair water bomber crashed on Tuesday while fighting forest fires on the southern Greek island of Evia, fire department spokesman Yannis Artopios said.

“A Greek Canadair plane with at least two people on board crashed near Platanisto,” Artopios said, referring to a village on the island.

Greece has been plagued by fires and scorching temperatures for more than ten days.

According to initial information from the authorities, the aircraft, which was taking part with at least three other aircraft and around 100 firefighters in the fight against the flames on this island near Athens, crashed into a ravine.

The accident occurred on the heights of Karystos, where a fire started on Sunday.

The two pilots belonged to the Greek Air Force, according to information from the Ministry of Defence, quoted by state broadcaster ERT.

The channel broadcast a video of the aircraft as it crashed and disappeared behind flames and a cloud of black smoke.

The rescue search operation at the Canadair crash site continues. According to reports, a helicopter from the operating team has already airdropped, with a hook, a rescuer at the site, where there is great danger due to the fuel (kerosene) of the downed aircraft.

Along with the fire trucks, an ambulance of the EKAB has been rushed and is waiting.