Officials say the cargo plane that crashed in northern Greece was carrying 11 tonnes of weapons, including land mines, to Bangladesh.
People within two kilometers of the crash site of the Antonov-12 have been warned to remain indoors.
The aircraft was en route from Serbia to Jordan when it crashed late Saturday night near the city of Kavala, killing all eight aboard.
As the plane crashed, eyewitness video captured the plane engulfed in flames and a massive fireball.
Sunday morning, drones were used to survey the crash site out of an abundance of caution.
State-run television reported that the army, explosives specialists, and employees of the Greek Atomic Energy Commission would not approach the site until it was deemed safe.
The Northern Greece Fire Brigade’s Lieutenant General Marios Apostolidis told reporters, “The (air) measurements have not revealed anything at this time, but instability has been observed in the field.”
In other words, there is intense smoke and heat, as well as a white substance that we do not recognize; therefore, a special armed forces team must tell us what it is and whether we can enter the field.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reportedly requested an emergency landing at Kavala airport due to an engine problem but was unable to reach the runway.
At approximately 22:45 local time (19:45 GMT), residents observed the aircraft.
Aimilia Tsaptanova, who witnessed the plane’s landing, expressed surprise that it had not crashed into their homes.
She stated, “It was filled with smoke, made an unidentifiable sound, and flew over the mountain.” “After passing the mountain, it veered and smashed into the fields.
“There were fires, and we were terrified. Numerous vehicles arrived, but they were unable to approach because of the continuous explosions.”
Minister of Defense of Serbia Neboja Stefanovic stated that the Antonov AN-12 was bringing over 11 tonnes of weaponry manufactured in Serbia to Bangladesh.
It was scheduled to make stops in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and India before arriving in Dhaka.
Meridian, a Ukrainian cargo airline, was operating the aircraft, but there are currently no indications of a connection to the conflict in Ukraine.
