Two dead after cars hit pack of wild boars in Greece

A three-car crash caused by a pack of wild boars in northern Greece killed two people, police said.

Four others remain in hospital.

The accident happened last night about 37 miles north of the port city of Thessaloniki.

A series of vehicles had been travelling on a two-lane road when a pack of boars emerged.

The animals were first hit by a police car, carrying three officers, which veered off course.

A few seconds later, a second vehicle hit the pack, flipped and landed in a nearby field.

A third vehicle then slammed into the police car, killing the 53-year-old driver of that car and a 48-year-old passenger.

A 50-year-old woman from North Macedonia, who was in the second car, was hurt and taken to a hospital along with the three officers.

Authorities said their injuries are not life-threatening.

The woman’s husband, who was driving the second vehicle, was unhurt.

Five wild boars also died in the incident, police said.

Vehicle crashes with packs of boars have increased over the past few years, especially in northern and central Greece.

The animals are are common across the country but are usually found in forests.

Their population increased during the pandemic because Greece’s traditional hunting season was disrupted.

The wild boar were more frequently pictured near busy roads or village centres as a result.

Farmers in the Serres region of Greece have called for specific measures to contain the growing population of wild boar.

They say packs are destroying their crops of wheat and clover in ‘raids’.

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