A cargo plane crashed on Saturday (16) near the city of Kavala, in northern Greece, according to local media. There is no official information on the number of people on board the aircraft or if there are any survivors, but an investigation by state TV ERT pointed out that the plane was carrying eight people.
Local media claims the aircraft was an Antonov An-12 owned by a Ukrainian company flying from Serbia to Jordan. The pilot had requested an emergency landing due to an engine problem, but the aircraft’s signal was lost.
It is unclear what kind of cargo the aircraft was carrying. A fire official said the corporation treats the shipment as hazardous material. According to ERT, the total load weighed 12 tons.
Images published by the local press showed the burning aircraft descending rapidly before hitting the ground and causing an apparent explosion. At least 15 firefighters and seven trucks acted to fight the fire shortly after the accident.
Girgios Archontopoulos, a local resident, told ERT that he knew something was wrong when he heard the noise the aircraft was making. “At 10:45 pm [hora local]I was surprised by an engine noise”, he said. “I went out and saw the engine on fire”.
