According to the Serbian defense minister, a Ukrainian-operated cargo jet carrying weapons and supplies that were traveling from Serbia to Bangladesh crashed in Greece, killing all eight crew members on board. Witnesses reported hearing explosions and seeing the privately owned Antonov aircraft on fire.
advertisement
All those on board were killed when a Ukrainian cargo jet carrying 11.5 tonnes of weapons crashed in northern Greece.
Two hours after the disaster, residents could hear explosions while watching a fireball light up the sky close to Kavala.
The Antonov An-12 cargo jet crashed on Saturday just before 11 p.m. local time after taking off from Nis in Serbia and traveling to Amman in Jordan.
AP
The pilot of the Soviet-era aircraft, which was being flown by Ukrainian cargo company Meridian, had earlier informed air traffic authorities that one of the engines was malfunctioning and that an emergency landing was necessary.
He was told to go to the Kavala International Airport, but he never arrived.
Reuters
advertisement
Drone footage revealed that the plane, which crashed in fields between two towns and slid a short distance on the ground, was only left in small parts.
According to Greek media, the jet was carrying 12 tonnes of 'dangerous materials,' probably explosives, and eight people.
On Sunday morning, small fires and a cloud of white smoke were still coming from the plane's front.
Reuters
When firefighters arrived on the scene, smoke and a strong smell that they worried might be toxically prohibited them from getting close to the crash site.
The villagers were instructed to wear masks, keep their windows closed at all times during the night, and stay inside.
AP
advertisement
Explosives experts are ready to search the crash scene and identify the exact type of hazardous cargo it was transporting.
A little more than an hour after the collision, Filippos Anastassiadis, mayor of the Paggaio municipality, told the Associated Press, "We were hearing explosions until a few minutes ago."
‘I am about 300 meters from the site of the crash.’
AP