Firefighting plane crash kills two pilots

A firefighter is shown near the debris of the Canadair CL-215 firefighting plane that crashed on Tuesday on the island of Evia, killing both pilots, Captain Christos Moulas, 34 and 2nd Lieutenant Periklis Stefanidis, 27. The CL-215, a twin-engine aircraft designed in the 1960s, was produced by Canadair from 1969-90. Greece, along with Canada, Spain and the US, is one of the four primary users of the plane. The fire in Karystos, in southern Evia, is one of several major blazes that have broken out in Greece. [Intime News]

The wildfires raging on the islands of Rhodes, Evia, Corfu and several locations in mainland Greece caused the first human casualties Tuesday.

Two Greek Air Force pilots died on the island of Evia when a Canadair CL-215 firefighting plane crashed near the town of Karystos shortly after 2 p.m., an Air Force spokesman announced.

And the charred body of a shepherd, who had left the Evia village of Platanistos Sunday, worried about his flock, was found Tuesday inside a hut, Greek media reported.

A state ERT TV video showed the bright yellow aircraft releasing its load of water before its wingtip apparently snagged in a tree branch. Moments later it disappeared into a deep fold in the ground from which a fireball erupted.

"They offered their lives to save lives," Mitsotakis said of the pilots, Captain Christos Moulas, 34, and 2nd Lieutenant Periklis...

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