WATCH: Firefighting plane crashes in Greece, both pilots dead

In Southern Greece on Tuesday, a tragic incident occurred as a Greek air force water-dropping plane, involved in firefighting efforts, crashed during an attempt to combat a wildfire. The crash resulted in the loss of both pilots’ lives. The viral video captured the moment when the bright yellow CL-215 aircraft released water over the island of Evia. Tragically, the plane’s wingtip got caught in a tree branch, leading to the aircraft crashing and erupting into flames upon impact with the ground. Both pilots, aged 34 and 27, lost their lives in the crash. reported The Associated Press. Watch:

⚡️Video of a firefighting plane crashing on the Greek island of Euboea a short while ago pic.twitter.com/e2P3FlgPRQ

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In response to this event, Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided to cancel his planned visit to Cyprus on Wednesday, and the country’s armed forces declared three days of mourning to honor the fallen pilots. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the pilots, acknowledging the dangerous nature of their daily firefighting missions and vowing to continue the fight against the destructive wildfires. The wildfires have been a major concern for authorities, and the extreme heat wave temperatures have only worsened the situation across the country. Greece has been facing a third successive heat wave, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. Strong winds have further fueled the fires, leading to evacuations in various regions. The exact cause of the wildfires remains uncertain, but the prevailing dry conditions and the scorching summer heat create the conditions for fires to start and spread rapidly if not swiftly contained. In recent days, several people across Greece have been arrested or fined for unintentionally starting fires. With inputs from agencies