Greece fires: Two pilots die after firefighting plane crashes

Two Greek air force pilots have died after a plane crashed while fighting wildfires on the Greek island of Evia, officials say.

The water-bombing plane crashed while battling a forest fire near Platanistos, the defence ministry said.

The pilots were named as 34-year-old Cdr Christos Moulas and his co-pilot, 27-year-old Pericles Stefanidis.

An intense European heatwave has also sparked wildfires across Sicily, Algeria and Tunisia.

Greek TV showed the Canadair aircraft flying low to drop water on a fire before turning sharply into a hillside and bursting into flames. read more