A British couple on their honeymoon and the pilot of their helicopter were killed in a tragic crash on the Greek island of Sifnos, according to local reports. The helicopter was flying to the Aegean island when it crashed and burst into flames in the Tholos area on Monday evening, just minutes before its scheduled landing at 6:15 pm. The couple, identified by Greek police as Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert, were on their honeymoon when the accident occurred.
The pilot, Giorgos Raikos, also lost his life in the crash. CCTV footage showed the aircraft spinning out of control before plummeting to the ground and igniting a fireball, with a thick plume of dark smoke billowing into the sky from the site of the crash. The deputy mayor of Sifnos, Manolis Fountoulakis, described the scene of the crash, saying that there was little left of the aircraft after the impact.
He reported that residents in the area heard a loud, strange noise, like military aircraft, before the crash, and stated that the aircraft ‘experienced mechanical failure in the air.’ The UK Foreign Office has confirmed that it is in contact with the local authorities and is seeking further information about the incident. A spokesperson stated that staff are ready to provide consular support to those affected by the tragedy. This incident comes after a series of devastating wildfires in Greece, which have destroyed over 100 homes in the area around Psatha, Attica, northwest of Athens.
Earlier this month, a Briton survived and two people were killed after two firefighting helicopters collided while battling vast blazes in the area. The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and president, Konstantinos Tasoulas, have paid tribute to the firefighters killed in the collision. Europe has been ravaged by wildfires this summer, with scientists attributing the increased risk of destructive blazes to climate change.
The wildfires have shown some signs of easing in France and Spain, but several wildfires have broken out in Greece after a period of relative calm there.
