Categories: International

Cargo plane operated by Ukraine carrier crashes in Greece

A cargo plane operated by a Ukrainian airline crashed on Saturday near the city of Kavala in northern Greece, authorities said.

Local residents reported seeing a fireball and hearing explosions for two hours after the crash.

Greek Civil Aviation authorities said the flight was heading from Serbia to Jordan. The An-12, a Soviet-built turboprop aircraft, was operated by cargo carrier Meridian.

Greek media reported there were eight people on the plane and it was carrying 12 tonnes of “dangerous materials”, mostly explosives. But local officials said they had no specific information on the cargo and provided varying numbers of people on board.

As a precaution because of a strong smell emanating from the crash site, a co-ordinating committee made up of municipal, police and fire service officials told inhabitants of the two localities closest to the crash site to keep their windows shut all night, to not leave their homes and to wear masks.

READ ALSO:

Authorities say they do not know if there were dangerous chemicals on the plane, including those contained in batteries.

Greece’s Civil Aviation authority said the pilot managed to alert authorities about a problem in one of the plane’s engines and he was given the choice of landing at either the Thessaloniki or Kavala airports, and he opted for Kavala, which was closer, saying that he had to make an emergency landing.

Communication with the plane ceased almost immediately afterwards. The plane crashed about 25 miles west of the airport.

“We were hearing explosions until a few minutes ago,” Filippos Anastassiadis, mayor of the municipality of Paggaio, told the Associated Press a little over an hour after the accident. “I am about 300 metres from the site of the crash.”

ERT reported that army and explosive experts were en route to the site, located on farmland close to two villages that are part of the Paggaio municipality. But they are not expected to start working before dawn. Experts from Greece’s Atomic Energy Commission will join them.

The fire service has cordoned off the area at a radius of about 400 metres. The cordoned-off area will be expanded at dawn, fire service officials said.

PA Media

Trends Admin

Recent Posts

NAFDAC alerts Nigerians to fake Dettol soap

NAFDAC alerts Nigerians to fake Dettol soap The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration…

2 hours ago

JUST IN: Lagos shuts Idera market over dirty condition

JUST IN: Lagos shuts Idera market over dirty condition The Lagos state government has shut…

2 hours ago

Just In : IGP orders redeployment of CPs in Rivers, Delta, FCT

Just In : IGP orders redeployment of CPs in Rivers, Delta, FCT Nigeria’s Inspector-General of…

2 hours ago

NAFDAC destroys N43bn substandard products in Oyo

NAFDAC destroys N43bn substandard products in Oyo The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration…

2 hours ago

Two people remanded for allegedly unleashing dogs on police

Two people remanded for allegedly unleashing dogs on police An Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in…

3 hours ago

Nine political parties merge with APC ahead of Edo gov election

Nine political parties merge with APC ahead of Edo gov election Ahead of the highly…

3 hours ago