Two newlyweds from London died after a helicopter carrying them to their honeymoon in Greece crashed moments before landing. Police said Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert crashed near the heliport in Sifnos after travelling from Athens.
Pilot also killed in crash
Pilot Giorgos Raikos was ferrying the couple on his private helicopter when the crash occurred. Mr Raikos, an experienced pilot who was in the Greek Air Force, also died.
Nearby CCTV footage captured the moment the helicopter began making a loud noise before spinning out of control and smashing into a nearby hill.
Witnesses describe scene
Deputy mayor of Sifnos, Manolis Fountoulakis, told local news: 'There was nothing left, a shapeless mass, inside which the two charred bodies must have been. It experienced mechanical failure in the air; residents say it made a loud, strange noise, like military aircraft.'
The Foreign Office said it is providing support to those affected and is in contact with local authorities.
Fire and response
A large fire broke out shortly after the helicopter crashed, but no casualties were reported on the ground. The fire did spark an island-wide alarm across Sifnos.
Sifnos mayor Maria Nadali said: 'This is a shocking event. We are shocked and are trying to manage, together with the right services, the consequences of this incident next to the helipad.'
Earlier this month, two people were killed after a helicopter was captured on camera exploding into flames after it hit another above raging Greek wildfires. 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. Footage shows the moment one of the helicopters clips the rotary blade of another below, sending it into a death spiral. A British pilot and a Greek crew member survived the crash, and were taken to hospital. The two people killed were a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer.
