EXTRAORDINARY A cargo plane crashed in the north of Greece: It was carrying 11 tons of ammunition, the crew did not survive the crash – Topky.sk

The plane that crashed in northern Greece on Saturday evening was operated by a Ukrainian cargo carrier, the AP agency reports, citing Greek authorities. Explosions were heard at the crash site for a long time after the plane hit. According to Greek media there were eight people on board, it was not clear early this morning if any of them survived. According to the authorities, the Antonov-12 plane, which was heading from Serbia to Jordan, crashed. The operator was the Ukrainian company Meridian. Greek media reports that there were over ten tons of dangerous material on board, mostly explosives. However, according to AP, local officials did not provide any detailed information about the cargo, while various statements appeared about the number of people on the plane. The plane was carrying military ammunition, according to other sources unspecified “toxic substances”. Firefighters closed the area within a radius of 400 meters, at dawn the closed area was expanded. Many rescuers, firefighters and police went to the scene of the accident, but they had to return because of the polluted air. Authorities also gave journalists and locals instructions to retreat immediately. A drone survey of the wreckage will take place on Sunday. The range of toxic danger will be determined by specialists. The plane crashed about two kilometers from the village of Palaiochori, said the mayor of the nearby town of Pangaio. Authorities have ordered residents in the area not to open windows or turn on air conditioning. The pilot reportedly managed to report a problem with one of the engines before falling to the ground and was given the opportunity to make an emergency landing at the airports in Thessaloniki or Kavala. He chose the second option, but was unable to land. “At quarter past eleven, I was surprised by the sound of the plane’s engine,” witness Giorgos Archontopoulos described the events to state television ERT. “I went out and saw the engine on fire,” he continued. Photo gallery (4) According to witnesses, the plane was still burning in the air and explosions could be heard.
Source: SITA/Ilias Kotsireas/InTime News via AP According to several testimonies, the plane was already on fire before it hit the ground, and explosions could be heard for two hours afterwards. Local officials, according to the BBC news website, said that fire engines sent to the crash site could not immediately approach the plane due to the explosions. “We approach the cargo as a dangerous material,” Reuters quoted a representative of the fire department as saying. Photo gallery (4) According to witnesses, the plane was still burning in the air and explosions could be heard.
Source: SITA/Ilias Kotsireas/InTime News via AP ERT television reported that army pyrotechnicians also went to the crash site in the Paggaio municipality after the firefighters. In the meantime, due to the strong smell, local officials advised the residents of the surrounding communities not to open windows, not to leave their houses and to wear masks as a precaution. Authorities in Ukraine, Serbia and Jordan did not publicly comment on the incident during the night. Photo gallery (4) According to witnesses, the plane was still burning in the air and explosions could be heard.
Source: SITA/Ilias Kotsireas/InTime News via AP Crashed cargo plane carrying 11 tons of ammunition The Ukrainian cargo plane that crashed late Saturday in northern Greece was carrying 11.5 tons of Serbian ammunition being exported to Bangladesh. Serbian Defense Minister Nebojša Stefanovič announced this on Sunday. TASR took the information from the agencies AFP, AP and DPA. Stefanovič confirmed at the press conference that all eight crew members died in the crash of the Antonov An-12. On board, according to him, were lighting mortar missiles and training mines of the private Serbian company Valir, which was being purchased by the Bangladesh Ministry of Defense. The plane of the Ukrainian transport company Meridian took off from the Serbian city of Nis on Saturday evening and was supposed to have stopovers in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The Ukrainian consul in Thessaloniki also arrived at the scene of the accident, who told local officials that the crew members were Ukrainians. The plane reported problems with one of its engines over the northern Aegean Sea and requested permission to make an emergency landing. They directed him to the airport in the Greek city of Kavala, but he never got there. EMERGENCY A cargo plane crashed in the north of Greece: It was carrying 11 tons of ammunition, the crew did not survive the crash