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KAVALA: All eight crew members of a cargo aircraft that crashed close to the Greek metropolis of Kavala died within the accident, Serbia’s defence minister stated on Sunday.
The Ukrainian-operated Antonov An-12 was carrying mines and round 11 tonnes of weapons to Bangladesh when it crashed on Saturday night time, minister Nebojsa Stefanovic stated.
Movies shared by eyewitnesses on social media confirmed the aircraft engulfed by an enormous fireball because it hit the bottom.
“I believe the crew have been Ukrainian however I haven’t got any details about that. They weren’t Serbian,” Stefanovic informed a information convention.
The aircraft had taken off from Nis airport in Serbia at round 8:40 pm (1840 GMT) on Saturday, carrying weapons owned by non-public Serbian firm Valir, he stated.
Greek media stated it had requested clearance to make an emergency touchdown at Kavala airport however had not managed to achieve it.
Greek rescue companies have been utilizing a drone on Sunday to observe the wreckage of the plane as fears in regards to the toxicity of the cargo have been forcing them to maintain at a distance.
State-run TV stated the military, explosives specialists and Greek Atomic Power Fee workers would method the crash website as soon as it was deemed protected.
“Males from the hearth service with particular gear and measuring devices approached the purpose of affect of the plane and had an in depth have a look at the fuselage and different elements scattered within the fields,” hearth brigade official Marios Apostolidis informed reporters.
Search groups would go in when the world is deemed safe, he added.
A 13-strong particular staff from the hearth brigade, 26 firemen and 7 hearth engines have been deployed to the world however couldn’t but method the crash website, native officers stated.
Video footage from an area channel confirmed indicators of affect on a subject and the plane in items scattered over a large space.
Eyewitnesses stated they noticed the plane on hearth and heard explosions.
Poisonous fumes
Filippos Anastasiadis, mayor of the close by city of Paggaio, informed Open TV the plane had crashed “round two kilometres away from an inhabited space”.
Folks residing inside that two-kilometre (1.2-mile) radius of the crash website have been requested to remain inside their houses and put on face masks on Saturday night time.
Two firemen have been taken to hospital early on Sunday with respiratory difficulties due to poisonous fumes.
A neighborhood man, Giorgos Archontopoulos, informed state broadcaster ERT tv he had felt one thing was fallacious as quickly as he heard the plane’s engine.
“At 2245 (1945 GMT) I used to be shocked by the sound of the engine of the plane,” he stated. “I went outdoors and noticed the engine on hearth.”
The Ukrainian consul in Thessaloniki, Vadim Sabluk, visited the world on Sunday.
Athens Information Company stated he had given the authorities the identities of the eight crew members and stated the aircraft had been flying to Bangladesh.
The Serbian defence minister stated the weapons cargo had been agreed with the Bangldeshi defence ministry “in accordance with worldwide guidelines”.
“Sadly some media have speculated that that the aircraft was carrying weapons destined for Ukraine however that’s utterly unfaithful,” he stated.
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