This Saturday (16/07) a cargo plane crashed in northern Greece, killing all eight crew members on board.
The plane, operated by Ukraine-based airline Meridian, was en route to Bangladesh from Nis, Serbia, with a stop in Jordan.
According to Greek media, the plane requested permission to make an emergency landing at Kavala Airport in Greece, but crashed before it could reach the runway.
Communication with the plane was cut off soon after.
Eyewitnesses told local media that the plane had already burned down before it crashed.
Pangeo mayor Filippos Anastasiadis said the plane was carrying “dangerous goods”. Spectators and journalists were warned to stay away from the debris.
The aircraft was Antonov An-12 – a four-engine turboprop built in Soviet times, owned by a Ukrainian company.
It was carrying mines and about 11 tons of weapons to Bangladesh, which bought the material from Serbia. Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said the cargo contained mortars and training bombs. It had taken off from Nis at midnight local time.
Stefanovic confirmed that the entire Ukrainian crew had died.
The plane crashed on farmland near two villages in Paggaio municipality.
Local officials said that 15 firefighters and seven fire trucks were dispatched to the region in the first place. Authorities said firefighters had difficulty approaching the scene due to the ongoing explosions.
source: Noticias
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