Pilots of downed fire-fighting plane die in crash

The bodies of the two air force pilots of a downed fire-fighting plane were recovered hours after the aircraft crashed near the settlement of Platanistos, in the southeast tip of the large island of Evia.

The pair of pilots, Capt. Christos Moulas, 34, and 2nd Lt. Pericles Stefanidis, 27, was among the aviators operating the CL-215 water-dropping planes in the area to combat a wildfire.

A three-day period of mourning was declared for the armed forces.

A video, taken by Greek state television (ERT), shows the plane dropping water on a fire from a very low altitude before the tip of its right wing hits what appears to be a tree. Its right float is then seen dropping from the plane, which then veers hard right and down, before crashing only seconds later.