The cargo plane that crashed in Greece on Saturday evening was carrying weapons from Serbia to Bangladesh. The aircraft had 11.5 tons of equipment on board, the Serbian defense minister said on Sunday. These included mortar shells. All eight crew members were killed in the crash.
The plane, an Antonov AN-12, took off from the Serbian town of Nis. The weapons on board were made in Serbia, according to Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, and were exported by a Serbian company. The buyer was the Ministry of Defense in Bangladesh.
The Serbian minister denied rumors that weapons were being transported to Ukraine. Earlier it was announced that the plane was operated by an airline from Ukraine. The crew members were Ukrainian.
The Greek state broadcaster ERT reported that the pilot had requested permission for an emergency landing at Kavala airport due to an engine failure, but was unable to reach this airport. The Antonov crashed about 40 kilometers away. Footage shows the plane crashed into flames.
The fire brigade deployed seven fire engines, but were unable to approach the wreckage due to explosions. Corrosive fumes were also released. Two firefighters had to be taken to hospital with breathing problems on Sunday morning. Local residents were advised on Saturday to close windows, turn off air conditioning and not go outside.
The Antonov AN-12 plane came down in a meadow in Greece.
The Antonov AN-12 plane came down in a meadow in Greece. Photo: Reuters