Greek, European leaders express condolences over death of wildfire pilots in Evia

Greek and European leaders and officials expressed their condolences for the deaths of the pilot and co-pilot of a Canadair CL-215 that crashed while fighting a wildfire in Platanisto, southern Evia, on Tuesday afternoon.

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In a Parliament plenary session earlier, Interior Minister Niki Kerameus asked for a two-minute silence in honor of the two pilots, Flight Lt. Christos Moulas, 34, and Second Lt. Periklis Stefanidis, 27. Session president Yiannis Plakiotakis expressed the body's "deep grief" for the two Air Force officers, while Kerameus said at difficult times Greeks must "focus more on what unites us, than what divides us."

President Sakellaropoulou

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said the two flight officers "sacrificed themselves carrying out their duty while defying adverse conditions. Our gratitude is great, and the grief at their loss is deep." The president also conveyed her condolences by phone to Chief of Hellenic Air Force Staff, Air Marshal Themistoklis Bourolias.

PM Mitsotakis

The loss of the two pilots' lives "is proof how risky daily missions (of pilots) are to fight fires, and at the same time how great the sacrifice of self by frontline fighters," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote in social media.

EU leaders

President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola also posted her condolences in social media, while European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic posted that the fatal accident is "the worst reminder of how first responders put their lives in danger to save others and our environment."

President Macron

We "support the heroes, in Greece, in France, everywhere, who fight every summer, risking their lives to put fires out," said French President Emmanuel Macron in social media.

National Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, who expressed his condolences earlier and declared a three-day mourning period, said that Turkish National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler had also conveyed his condolences. Güler also "expressed his support of the Greek people and of all those who work to fight fires in our country," Dendias said.

Condolences poured in also from President of the Cyprus Republic Nikos Christodoulides, Cyprus' Defence Minister Michalis Giorgallas, Greek parties and party leaders, and Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece.