Two die as firefighting helicopters collide in Greece, French blaze changes course

Two people died when two firefighting helicopters crashed in Greece while attempting to control a massive wildfire that had destroyed over 100 homes northwest of Athens on Sunday. One victim was a Greek national and the other a Danish national. The crew of the second helicopter, which included one Greek and one British person, survived the collision.

Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the accident. Wildfires have been ravaging Europe this summer due to record-breaking heatwaves and minimal rainfall, conditions that scientists attribute to climate change. In France, a wildfire in the southwestern Var region initially spread but changed course after a shift in the wind, heading towards a challenging-to-access forested area.

Additionally, a fire broke out near the historic city of Carcassonne, possibly sparked by a burning vehicle. In Spain, many wildfires from the previous week were under control, although reignitions were still occurring in certain areas. In Hungary, a heavily drought-stricken region forced the closure of the country's only nuclear power plant for the first time in over 40 years due to extremely low water levels in the Danube River.