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image source, Archyde.com
Authorities are using drones to inspect the wreckage of the plane.
A plane carrying 11 tons of weapons crashed on Saturday night in Kavala, a city in northern Greece, while flying from Serbia to Bangladesh via Jordan.
The Greek authorities have asked people living two kilometers from the site to stay in their homes.
Eight people on board the plane died. in the accident, authorities said.
State television reported that the army, explosives experts and staff from the Greek Atomic Energy Commission would not approach the area until it was deemed safe.
As a precautionary measure, on Sunday morning the emergency services used drones to inspect the zone where the remains of the aircraft were located.
“The (air) measurements at the moment have not shown anything, but instability was observed in the area,” Lt. Gen. Marios Apostolidis, of the Northern Greece Fire Brigade, told a group of journalists.
“In other words, there is smoke and intense heat, as well as a white substance that we do not recognizeso a special team from the armed forces has to tell us what it is and if we can enter the site.”
engine problem
The pilot would have requested a emergency landing at Kavala airport following detecting an engine problem shortly following takeoff, but failed to reach the runway.
Residents of the city of Kavala saw the plane around 10:45 p.m. local time (7:45 p.m. GMT).
In a series of photos published by the Greek media, it appears that the plane was already on fire as it descended.
Aimilia Tsaptanova, who watched as the plane went down, said she was surprised it hadn’t crashed into nearby houses.
image source, EPA
The plane was already on fire before crashing, according to witnesses
“It was covered in smoke, it was making a noise I can’t describe and it went over the top of the mountain. Then it turned and crashed into the field,” he explained.
“There were flames, we were afraid. A lot of cars came up, but they mightn’t get close because there were continuous explosions.”
Local authorities said seven fire trucks had been deployed but were initially unable to get close to the crash site due to continuous explosions.
Serbian Defense Minister Nebojša Stefanovic said the Antonov AN-12 was carrying almost 11 tons of Serbian-made weapons, including landminesa Bangladesh.
He was to make stops in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and India before reaching his final destination of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
The plane was being operated by Meridian, a Ukrainian cargo airline.
So far there is no indication of no connection of the accident with the war in Ukraine.
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