A Ukrainian cargo plane with eight people on board was already on fire before it crashed last night near the northern city of Kavala. Greeceshow images.
The Antonov An-12, owned by Meridian, exploded in a blaze of flame as it flew from Serbia to Jordan carrying “hazardous materials” believed to be explosives.
The pilot had requested an emergency landing at the nearby Kavala airport due to an engine problem, but the plane’s signal was lost, the Greek aviation authority said.
Video footage shows the plane descending rapidly in flames before hitting the ground 25 miles west of the airport, triggering a massive series of explosions that can be heard near the city.
A Ukrainian cargo plane with eight people on board was already on fire before it crashed near the town of Kavala in northern Greece last night, footage shows. Pictured: Flames and smoke can be seen in the area where an Antonov cargo plane from Ukraine crashed in the Paleiochori area, west of Kavala
The Antonov An-12, owned by Meridian, exploded in a blaze of flame as it flew from Serbia to Jordan carrying “hazardous materials” believed to be explosives. Pictured: Ambulances are seen in the area where an Antonov cargo plane from Ukraine crashed today in the Paleiochori area, west of Kavala, northern Greece
Eyewitnesses said the Antonov An-12 was on fire and they heard explosions, Athens News Agency reported.
A local man from the mountain area, Giorgos Archontopoulos, told state broadcaster ERT television that he sensed something was wrong as soon as he heard the plane’s engine.
“At 10:45 p.m. I was surprised by the sound of the plane’s engine,” he said. “I went out and saw the engine on fire.”
Local residents, who reported seeing a fireball and a plume of smoke, and Greek media believe the plane had explosives on board.
State broadcaster ERT reported that military explosives experts were on their way to the site, located on farmland near two villages that are part of the Paggaio municipality.
It also said villagers say it was already in flames before it crashed and ERT has been told his cargo ‘was dangerous’.
Police asked journalists on the scene to wear masks, the report said.
“You have to leave for your safety. There is information that the plane was carrying ammunition,” a firefighter told reporters at the scene.
Ambulances were spotted this morning in the area where an Antonov cargo plane from Ukraine has crashed in the Paleiochori area, west of Kavala
Pictured: Firefighters seen near plane crash site
Filippos Anastasiadis, mayor of the nearby town of Paggaio, told Open TV: “The plane crashed about two kilometers (one mile) from an inhabited area.”
He also told AP: “Until a few minutes ago, we heard explosions. I’m about 300 meters from the crash site.’
A total of 15 firefighters and seven motorcycles were deployed to extinguish the fire that broke out after the crash with more rescuers en route.
It was not clear what the cargo of the aircraft was, but the special emergency response unit also investigated the spot.
“We are treating the cargo as hazardous material,” a fire officer said.
Firefighters have cordoned off the area and are struggling to get to the scene.
Firefighting vehicles were seen near the site of a plane crash, a few miles from the town of Kavala, in northern Greece on Saturday
Flames have been seen at the site of a plane crash a few miles from the town of Kavala, in northern Greece yesterday
A night shot from yesterday of the site of a plane crash, a few miles away from the city of Kavala
Greek civil aviation authorities say the flight was en route from Serbia to Jordan, but were unable to confirm what the plane, operated by Meridian, a cargo carrier, was carrying.
The pilot managed to alert authorities to a problem in one of the aircraft’s engines, and he was given the choice of landing at Thessaloniki or Kavala airports.
He chose Kavala, which was closer, but the plane crashed about 40 miles west of the airport, the Greek Civil Aviation Authority said.