Both pilots were killed when a Hellenic (Greek) Air Force fighter jet crashed during an annual air show near the capital, Athens, officials said, with thousands of people in attendance at the event.The twin-seat F-4 Phantom jet crashed while performing a low-altitude manoeuvre, with videos showing a fire erupting after the crash and sending large plumes of black smoke into the air. A larger, second explosion occurred nearby as the plane broke apart.No spectators were injured.The pilots’ bodies were recovered during a subsequent rescue operation, which was initially hampered by the fire at Tanagra Air Force Base, located about 60 kilometres (40 miles) north of Athens.Eleven water-dropping planes and helicopters assisted 85 firefighters to contain the blaze, which remained at some distance from the viewing area at Athens Flying Week.Organisers cancelled remaining events planned over the weekend and the Hellenic Air Force declared three days of mourning following the crash.Paying tribute to the pilots, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, “The sense of grief is widespread, and our thoughts are with the families of the two pilots we lost. It is a reminder of the daily danger faced by Greece’s aviators, who remain on constant standby to protect Greece’s skies.”Cyprus defence minister Vasilis Palmas also reached out to his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, to express the Cypriot government’s condolences.“It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of the two officers of the Hellenic Air Force, who lost their lives in the tragic accident that occurred during the air show at Tanagra Air Base,” Palmas wrote in an online post.(With AP inputs)
