An Antonov cargo plane operated by a Ukrainian airline has crashed near the city of Kavala in northern Greece. All eight crew members on board of the Antonov An-12 died.
Source: General director of the “Meridian Air Cargo” company
The cargo aircraft was travelling from Serbia to Jordan on July 16.
At Meridian, the cause of the disaster is attributed to a technical malfunction. The crew managed to warn about a problem with one of the engines before the crash, after which the controllers in Greece allowed the plane to land at the airport of the city of Thessaloniki or the airport of Kavala. The pilot chose the latter but was unable to land. According to eyewitnesses, the plane caught fire while in the air, quickly descended, and then fell to the ground, after which there was an explosion.
Firefighters arrived to extinguish the fire. A search and rescue operation is underway.
The plane probably was carrying 12 tons of “dangerous materials,” mostly explosives. But local officials said they had no specific information on the cargo.
Local residents reported seeing a fireball and hearing explosions for two hours after the crash.
