Two helicopters have crashed into each other while putting out wildfires west of Athens in Greece

Two firefighting helicopters have collided in mid-air while attempting to tackle wildfires west of Athens, Greece.

A search and rescue operation is underway to locate the crews in the ⁠Psatha area, Greece’s fire ⁠department said.

Each helicopter had two people on board.

“During the aerial firefighting operation, two BELL helicopters, leased by the fire department, with a crew of two people each, crashed in the wider area of Psatha, Attica,” the department said in a statement.

“The helicopters had taken off from the Elefsina military airport. The search and rescue operation is under way,” they added.

Parts of Greece have been hit particularly hard by the spate of wildfires that have gripped Europe this summer, with three firefighters tragically losing their lives battling blazes in Crete and the mainland earlier this week.

Nearly 500 Greek firefighters have been deployed to the region, assisted by personnel from France and Romania.

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Isabelle Welsh suffered from weeks of abuse, including suffering 21 broken bones, before she collapsed at her home in Thornaby, Teesside, in September.

Alexandra Walker, 26, and her boyfriend Harrison Simpson, 22, were convicted of murder and child cruelty earlier this week following a trial at Teesside Crown Court.

The faces of child killers Alexandra Walker, left, and Harrison Simpson, right (Image: Newsquest/Cleveland Police)

Simpson was also convicted of sexually assaulting Isabelle, while her mother was cleared of that charge.

Cleveland Police has admitted that officers failed to execute a warrant issued by Teesside Magistrates’ Court for Simpson’s arrest in March 2024, The Sunday Times reported.

The warrant was issued after Simpson failed to attend court for breaching a non-molestation order, an injunction designed to protect victims of domestic abuse.

It is understood that the non-molestation order was put in place after reports that Simpson had harassed and threatened a woman.

Isabelle Rose Welsh (Image: Family handout)

The force said in a statement: “Multiple enquiries and arrest attempts were carried out to try to locate and arrest him, but these proved unsuccessful.”

It added: “We recognise the time Simpson had an outstanding arrest warrant is far from adequate.

“A review of this was immediately conducted upon his arrest for murder.

“This review, along with a determination to continually improve our processes around suspect management, has led to a number of recent changes, such as ongoing improved visibility across the force around outstanding warrants, a comprehensive data system which tracks all outstanding warrants, and stringent oversight including a governance group led by a superintendent.”

Ms Justice Norton said Isabelle’s murder was the final act in a sustained campaign of violence, which the pair then attempted to cover up.

Isabelle Welsh playing at home (Image: Cleveland Police)

She jailed them for life with minimum terms of 28 years and six months for Simpson and 22 years for Walker, both minus time spent on remand.

Prosecutor Paul Abrahams told the court: “This was a campaign of quite deliberate extreme violence.”

Tributes placed outside the Thornaby home of Isabelle Welsh (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

Ms Justice Norton said: “Any death is a tragedy. The death of a very young child at the hands of those who should have cared for, protected, and loved her – as she no doubt loved them – is particularly distressing for all involved.”

She said the toddler sustained an unsurvivable head injury in the 24 hours before she died in hospital.

The girl was sexually assaulted around the time the fatal blow was inflicted, the judge said.

A helicopter was captured on camera exploding into flames after it hit another while fighting a raging Greek wildfire.

The two helicopters were involved in efforts to tackle fires that were spreading in the Psatha region, on the Gulf of Corinth west of Athens.

Local news site in.gr said an injured crew member from one of the vehicles was in communication with officials.

A search is taking place in a ravine for the other, which does not appear to have a functioning radio.

Both helicopters had two people on board, a pilot and a passenger who coordinated with the operations centre, the site said.

On Friday, 300 people were evacuated by sea from Porto Germeno – a popular resort a short distance north from Psatha – due to wildfires.

Local resident Minas Tzortzanis told the PA news agency: ‘A pristine forest, a paradise, was surrendered to the hands of the fire.

‘There are no words to explain what has happened. Destruction. Total destruction.’

Weather conditions have played an additional role in complicating the firefighting efforts.

Climate crisis and civil protection minister Evangelos Tournas said: ‘The very strong to gale-force winds continue to create exceptionally difficult conditions.’

The turbulence has meant some aircraft are struggling to collect water and get close enough to the scene to drop it.

Today’s incident in Greece took place as several European countries face challenges from wildfires during an extremely hot and dry summer.

In France and Spain, around a third of a million people had to evacuate their homes due to rapidly spreading fires.

Others were forced to take shelter as ash and toxic smoke poisoned the sky, with enormous thunderstorms called pyrocumulonimbus clouds formed as a result.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: George and Amal Clooney forced to evacuate £6,000,000 home in France as wildfires spread

MORE: Final text of British woman found dead in suitcase ‘said she wanted to be alone’

MORE: Aerial images reveal just how close wildfire came to engulfing holiday park

By NOOR QURASHI, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 15:09 BST, 2 August 2026 | Updated: 15:21 BST, 2 August 2026

Two helicopters have crashed into each other while fighting wildfires in Greece.

Emergency services were called after the aircraft collided in the Psatha region, west of Athens.

The BELL helicopters were each carrying two passengers and had taken off from the Elefsina military airport.

Hundreds of firefighters were today battling wind-fuelled fires near Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth, northwest of the capital.

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Authorities said strong winds made the fire spread more quickly and made it unpredictable for firefighters.

‘The situation is extremely hard, especially today. We have really strong winds, gusts exceeding 73 kph (45 mph). The direction of the fire can’t be determined easily,’ doctor and firefighter Giorgos Doulas said.

The fire department’s deputy spokesman Yiannis Artopios told state TV ERT that the wind was so strong that firefighters on the scene ‘couldn’t even open their vehicle doors’.

Nearly 500 Greek firefighters have been deployed to the region, assisted by emergency crew from France and Romania. 

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Two helicopters have crashed into each other while fighting wildfires in Greece

The aircraft are seen plummeting to the ground following the collision

The aircraft were both carrying two passengers and had taken off from the Elefsina military airport

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Over 100 homes have been destroyed amid gale-force winds that have fueled flames in the area.

A military firing range is among the sites affected. 

 

This is a breaking news story. More to come

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The sinkhole has been repaired following delays caused by a damaged sewer

A sinkhole which appeared on Milton Road in Cambridge over five weeks ago has been repaired – but the road is still closed. The repairs were delayed because of the discovery of “an unknown source of water”, resulting in the road closure lasting much longer than anticipated.

In the latest update from Cambridgeshire County Council, they said that road surfacing works are now complete, with road marking in place. They’ve also patched up other areas nearby where potholes had started to develop. However despite the completion of the repairs, the road is going to remain closed so that the road surface can cool properly.

The council update continued: “Temporary fencing remains in place to allow the new surface to cool and cure properly. The site will continue to be monitored over the next couple of days to ensure everything is safe before it is reopened to the public. Thank you for your patience while these improvements have been carried out.”

A previous update on July 27 said that it was anticipated that the road would fully reopen on Wednesday, August 5.

The council had planned to reopen the road in mid-July, but faced delays after a damaged sewer was discovered. In an earlier update, the council said: “Just before the planned concrete pour, Anglian Water identified failures within their network at the location – this issue needs to be resolved by Anglian Water.”

The sinkhole was first reported at around 5pm on June 22, with road closure signs being seen along the road the following morning as well as fencing around the hole. It affected the stretch of Milton Road between the Elizabeth Way roundabout and Hurst Park Avenue.

At least three people were killed and seven others were injured in a shooting at an In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday, according to police and local officials.

The suspected shooter — an unidentified male — is dead, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a press conference. He described the scene as “tragic” and “chaotic.”

Joshua Palmer, a city spokesperson, told The Independent that the number of victims may rise. “We want to emphasize that that number may change,” Palmer said. “That was just the first number we got.”

An “active shooter incident” was first reported at 4:29 p.m. ET at the In-N-Out on Blue Lakes Boulevard North. Police urged people to avoid the area, saying roads nearby would be closed as officers responded.

Shelter-in-place orders have since been lifted, Palmer said.

Hicks said the FBI is assisting the investigation, adding that information about the suspect and his motivations are expected to be revealed in the coming days. It was not immediately clear if the suspect was included in the fatality count.

Twin Falls, a city of about 56,000 people, is located roughly 130 miles southeast of Boise. There have been over 300 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, according to the Mass Shooter Tracker.

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Here’s a brief timeline of what happened

Here’s a brief breakdown of what happened:

• An “active shooter incident” was reported at 4:29 p.m. ET on Saturday at the In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho.
• Soon after, police urged people to avoid the area as officers responded to the scene.
• Videos circulating on social media appear to show multiple men with firearms outside the restaurant.
• A city official told The Independent shortly before 8 p.m. that three people had died and two more were injured, noting that these figures were likely to change. He said the threat was neutralized.
• Soon after, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks announced in a press conference that the shooter — an unidentified male — had died.
• Hicks said that an investigation is currently underway to determine the shooter’s identity and motivation, and that victims’ next of kin are being notified. The FBI is assisting, he said.
• More information is expected in the coming hours and days, Hicks said.

Read more

Brendan Rascius2 August 2026 02:39

FBI reports 42 per cent increase in active shooters in 2025

The US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation reported 34 active shooter incidents in 2025 compared to 24 2024 – a 42 per cent increase.

However, it said that 2025 remained below the five-year average of 43 incidents per year.

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Nearly 68 per cent of incidents involved planning and preparation by the shooter, an increase from 58 per cent in 2024.

The FBI recorded 7 “mass killings” and 166 casualties in 2025 linked to active shooters, with 47 civilians killed.

Rebecca Thomas2 August 2026 14:00

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Photos show aftermath of Idaho shooting

Photos show the aftermath of Saturday’s shooting in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Police and emergency services were gathered around the fast food resturant.

The shooting took place around 4:29 on Saturday, 1 August.

Three people have died, and two were injured in the shooting.

Rebecca Thomas2 August 2026 12:30

Witnesses heard shots from the kitchen

Witnesses to a horrifying shooting on Saturday described hearing shots from the restaurant’s kitchen and having to flee to their cars.

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Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down.

Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez said, also via text message. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”

Rebecca Thomas2 August 2026 11:30

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Other restaurants nearby to the shooting closed during incident

A shelter-in-place order for the area was put in place as the shooting unfolded but later lifted, and roads were being reopened as the shooting investigation continued, Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer said.

A nearby Chick-fil-A said it was closing Saturday as a precaution.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Chick-fil-A Twin Falls will be closed for the remainder of today,” the restaurant said.

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Magic Valley Mall nearby was closed and people inside were told to stay put, a public safety employee there said earlier Saturday afternoon.

Adam Withnall2 August 2026 10:30

Twin Falls In-N-Out had opened just one week before shooting

The In-N-Out branch in Twin Falls that became the scene of Saturday’s shooting opened just about a week earlier, on July 24, as part of the company’s recent expansion to Idaho.

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Twin Falls, a city of about 56,000 people, is about 130 miles (205km) southeast of Boise and about 75 miles (120km) north of the Nevada border.

“We are heartbroken,” California-based In-N-Out’s chief operating officer Denny Warnick said in a statement Saturday.

“Our prayers go out to our Customers, our Associates, and all of their families. We are working with the Twin Falls Police Department to assist in the on-going investigation.”

Adam Withnall2 August 2026 09:30

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Video shows shooter dressed in black carrying long rifle

Police were still trying to determine the shooter’s identity and motive, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said in a news conference earlier Saturday.

“We believe the threat to the community is over,” Hicks said. “It was a very chaotic scene.”

Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

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Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer said investigators were still interviewing witnesses to the shooting. The restaurant is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when it happened around 2 p.m.

Adam Withnall2 August 2026 08:10

Number of people injured rises to seven in In-N-Out shooting

The number of people injured in the shooting in Twin Falls, Idaho has risen to seven, while the death toll remains at three, according to a spokesperson for the city’s administration.

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Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman in an area near the restaurant, Twin Falls city public information officer Josh Palmer said. He did not know if the suspect was included in the fatality count.

Officials were still working on notifying the family members of victims and so were not yet releasing the names, ages or other details about the people hurt in the shooting, Palmer said. Some of the people injured are in critical condition, Palmer said.

Adam Withnall2 August 2026 06:56

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Witnesses describe fleeing in panic: ‘I left my car there’

Twin Falls resident Haley Dodaro, 43, and her mother went to In-N-Out for lunch Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the drive-thru line, they saw people running across the road and workers bolting out of the restaurant. At first Dodaro thought there might have been a fire, but then a man directing traffic in a reflective vest said there was a shooter.

“So that’s when we knew there was a shooting. People were running out crying and screaming. It was very scary,” Dodaro told The Associated Press.

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down. Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez said. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”

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Adam Withnall2 August 2026 05:47

Twin Falls In-N-Out had only been open for one week before the shooting: report

The In-N-Out in Twin Falls had only been open for one week before the mass shooting took place there on Saturday, CNN reported.

An In-N-Out executive told NBC News he was “heartbroken” by the shooting.

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Brendan Rascius2 August 2026 04:35

Asteryth Sloane was a talented musician

A talented young Cambridge composer considered a child prodigy has died at the age of 26. In Asteryth Sloane was named as the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year by Cambridge Youth Music in 2016.

Asteryth, who was blind from the age of two, changed music into Braille so it didn’t stop them pursuing their passion. Their five-minute composition Passiflora, which took eight hours to change from Braille music into musical notation, won the prestigious award in 2016.

Asteryth studied at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). They completed both a Bachelor of Music in composition, graduating with a First, and then studied a Master’s degree in composition and musicology, graduating with a distinction.

Their website described them as a “therapist, composer, writer, book-nibbler, collector of words, lover of stories and wild spaces”.

The RNCM has since paid tribute to Asteryth. A college spokesperson said: “Their unique compositional methods and creativity led to a number of accolades, including winning the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year Competition in 2016, the senior category of the BBC Proms Inspire Young Composers’ Competition in 2018 for their piece Elegy for Aylan, and a commission from the Royal Philharmonic Society to mark Classic FM’s 25th birthday celebrations.

“Performed by ensembles including VOCES8, Paraorchestra, and the BBC Singers, Asteryth’s music is known for its responses to the beauty and fragility of the living Earth, as well as themes of identity and spirituality. Their musicological work explores the power of listening to bring us into more intimate and ethical relationships with sound, as well as the rights of sound and sound sources.”

A spokesperson for the Royal Philharmonic Society said: “We are sorry to learn that the composer Asteryth Sloane has died. We were proud to commission Asteryth to mark Classic FM’s 25th birthday celebrations in 2017, and we have since enjoyed hearing their imaginative music performed by ensembles such as the BBC Singers, Paraorchestra, VOCES8 and CoMA.

“A blind composer with a unique compositional method and verve, we pay tribute to Asteryth’s creativity, and urge music-lovers to continue listening to and performing Asteryth’s music, ensuring it continues to resound.”

More recently, Asteryth trained as a therapist.

The annual race took attracted more than 3,000 runners on Sunday (August 2), taking on two laps of a 5k route through the town.

However, many runners were left disappointed, saying they did not receive a finisher’s medal after crossing the line as organisers had ran out.

Darlington Council’s website states that “anyone who completes the 2026 Darlington 10k will receive a medal and a T-shirt”.

The Northern Echo has contacted the council for comment.

It is currently unclear how many runners were affected by the shortage, although those finishing around the one-hour mark are among those saying they did not receive one.

The council confirmed on Saturday (August 1) that more than 3,000 people had signed up for the race, describing the figure as “one of the highest sign-up rates the race has seen”.

Several took to social media to express their frustration.

One runner took to Facebook to express their disappointment – claiming they were told there were no medals remaining when they reached the finish lie, and that they were made to sign a sheet so one could be posted out at a later date.

Despite the disappointment, many runners praised the atmosphere, sharing photos and congratulating fellow competitors on completing the course.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The remains of renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja and three other climbers have been found by a ground team on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains, where a 10-member international expedition was swept away by an avalanche, officials said Sunday.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan identified the recovered climbers as Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa. The club praised military and civilian rescuers and volunteers involved in the recovery effort.

On Friday, rescuers located four other bodies but were able to recover only three — Omani Nathira Ahmed, American Mallory Geis and Nepalese Bahadur Gurung — because harsh weather grounded search-and-rescue helicopters.

Military-backed rescue teams resumed the search Sunday for the two remaining climbers, while efforts continued to bring down the bodies of Purja and the three others found by the ground team, local officials said.

On Saturday, Purja’s expedition company said the world had lost one of mountaineering’s greats. The company described him as “a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine.”

Alpine Club of Pakistan President Irfan Arshad Khan said the tragedy was “an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering fraternity.” He paid tribute to military and civilian rescuers and Sherpas who took part in the search mission.

The expedition was led by Purja, the Nepal-born former British Army soldier widely known as Nims Dai.

He climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” His record was broken in 2023.

A statement from Geis’ family said, “Mallory was a bright light who was loved deeply by her family and friends. She will be profoundly missed.”

The expedition was expected to be the last one for Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, who worked with Moving Mountains, a Pakistan-based adventure travel company. Sakhi also was a geographer and high-altitude photographer who had climbed some of the world’s major peaks, according to the company’s website. His body remained missing on Sunday.

Accidents are common on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitude and rapidly changing weather.

___

Riaz Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan.

Josh Kerr didn’t get much sleep last night. “There’s no time for that. Glasgow on the weekend, mate, it’s bouncing,” the Scot said with a slight croak in his voice.

The response – 11 hours after his Commonwealth Games mile victory – was entirely in keeping with the way Kerr has conducted himself this week. Embedded with Team Scotland, back home among his own people, and absolutely revelling in it.

Look at his social media. Reels of the 28-year-old running around the streets of the city. In its parks and on its tracks. Pictures of him loosening off under a Kingston Bridge flyover in a hotel car park. Images of him engaging with the crowd.

His crowd, the people who came to see the mile world record holder on Saturday night.

Among them were Kerr’s grandparents and nephews, his first ever coach, and his training partners from when he was 11 or 12.

There were hundreds of awestruck kids, too. Some of them budding athletes themselves. Others who might now want to be. Just like Kerr was when the Games came to Glasgow in 2014, with dreams of emulating those he saw race at Hampden.

That memory was in mind as the Edinburgh athlete slowly worked his way back down the home straight from the podium after his emotional medal ceremony.

It’s why every fan who asked for a selfie got one. Why he signed his name over and over again. Why he gave them his time and his attention. Sure, Kerr was soaking up his moment of glory, but he was giving something back too.

“I’m just trying to create a moment for them,” he told BBC Sport Scotland.

“There is absolutely nothing stopping any of them going out and doing what I’ve just done.

“I believe if you grow up in Scotland, you can be one of the best runners in the history of these distances. I’m not doing anything outrageously special.”