Christos Moulas

Parliament President Constantinos Tasoulas on Thursday announced that the Hellenic Parliament will offer support to the unborn child of fallen air force pilot Christos Moulas, who was killed in the line of duty when his Canadair firefighting plane crashed during efforts to extinguish the wildfire at Karystos on Evia.

The funeral of 27-year-old Second Lieutenant Periklis Stefanidis, who died when a Canadair CL-215 firefighting plane crashed during operations on the island of Evia on Tuesday, took place in his hometown of Kilkis on Thursday.

Both Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Defense Minister Nikos Dendias were present for the service, as was an honorary Hellenic Air Force detachment.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will attend the funeral of Second Lieutenant Periklis Stefanidis in Kilkis on Thursday, while President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will be present at the funeral of Captain Christos Moulas in Chania on the island of Crete on Friday.

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.

The Air Force has confirmed that the two pilots missing since their firefighting aircraft crashed in southern Evia are dead.

In a statement, the General Air Staff Air Force named the two officers as Captain Christos Moulas (34) and his co-pilot, Second Lieutenant Periklis Stefanidis (27).