publishedJuly 17, 2022 at 12:14 am
Ukrainian machineCargo plane carrying ammunition crashes in north-eastern Greece
A plane with at least eight people on board crashed near the northeastern Greek city of Kavala on Saturday evening. Nothing is known regarding possible victims.
As Flightradar writes on Twitter, the cargo plane crashed on the way to Kavala.
Screenshot Twitter/Flightradar24
A plane crashed near the northeastern Greek city of Kavala on Saturday evening. This was confirmed by the Greek fire brigade via Twitter. The machine is said to be an Antonov cargo plane that was on its way from Nis in Serbia to the Jordanian capital Amman, according to the Flightradar24 internet service on Twitter.
The flight tracker also documented the plane’s route. This shows that the Antonov turned around over the northern Aegean and flew towards Kavala. At the airport there, the crew is said to have requested an emergency landing, reported Greek state television.
The Greek state broadcaster ERT reported on Sunday night, citing Serbian authorities, that at least eight people were on board. Nothing was initially known regarding victims. The cargo plane is said to have had ammunition on board. A firefighter at the scene of the accident told the Greek state broadcaster ERT on Sunday night. The machine is said to belong to a Ukrainian company.
Journalists at the scene were asked to wear masks because of the danger of toxic fumes. Bystanders were asked by the security forces to leave the area. Eyewitnesses had previously reported numerous explosions immediately following the plane crashed. According to the firefighter, special forces were therefore requested.
Plane was on fire before the crash
Previously, the machine is said to have had problems with an engine. The pilot is said to have spoken of an engine failure and requested an emergency landing at Kavala airport, the Greek news agency ANA reported on Sunday night, citing circles from the civil aviation authority. Live recordings from the state broadcaster ERT showed a large fire at the crash site. The fire brigade was initially on site with seven fire engines. Greek media also distributed cellphone recordings from private individuals showing that the plane was on fire before the crash.
Eyewitnesses told journalists that the plane passed very close to the villages of Paleochori and Antifilippi, but then crashed into an uninhabited area.
(DPA/sys)
