Greece plane crash: Cargo aircraft was carrying weapons to Bangladesh – minister

Officials claim that a cargo plane carrying 11 tonnes of weapons, including landmines, to Bangladesh crashed in northern Greece.

Anyone who lives within two kilometres of the Antonov-12 crash site has been advised to stay indoors.

All eight occupants of the aircraft died when it crashed late on Saturday in Kavala while en route from Serbia to Jordan.

On eyewitness footage of the tragedy, a sizable fireball and the burning airliner were also observed.

To be extra cautious, drones were used to survey the accident site, and according to Greek state-run TV, the army, explosives experts, and Greek Atomic Energy Commission officials were waiting until it was deemed safe before heading there.

The current measures have not revealed anything, but instability in the field has been detected, according to Lieutenant General Marios Apostolidis of the Northern Greece Fire Brigade.

The pilot attempted an emergency landing at Kavala airport in Greece after suffering engine trouble shortly after takeoff, but he was unable to make it to the runway.

At 19:45 GMT, locals first saw the jet (22:45 local time).

Witnessing the plane’s fall, Aimilia Tsaptanova expressed shock that their homes weren’t harmed.

She described it as flying over a mountain, being enveloped in smoke, and creating an eerie noise. After going by the peak, it turned and fell into the fields.

According to Serbia’s minister of defence, Neboja Stefanovic, the plane was transporting more than 11 tonnes of weapons made in Serbia to Bangladesh (11,000 kg).

The types of armaments on board, however, are subject to disagreement.

Mr Stefanovic said that the flight “had all essential clearances in line with international standards,” as well as “illuminating mortar mines and training.”

According to a military public relations spokeswoman for Bangladesh, the jet was transporting mortar ammunition that had been acquired from Serbia for use in training the army and border guards.

The aircraft was being operated by Meridian, a Ukrainian freight carrier, and it was intended to make stops in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and India before making its final destination of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The crew was reportedly Ukrainian.