Explosions For Two Hours After Plane Carrying 12 Tonnes Of Weapons Crashes

Explosions for two hours after plane carrying 12 tonnes of weapons crashes 

Explosions were heard for two hours after the crash as locals saw a fireball light up the sky near the city of Kavala. The Antonov An-12 cargo plane took off from Nis in Serbia on Saturday and was heading to Amman in Jordan when it crashed shortly before 11pm local time. Minutes earlier, the pilot of the Soviet-era plane, which was operated by Ukrainian cargo carrier Meridian, had told air traffic controllers there was a problem with one of the engines and he had to make an emergency landing. He was directed to the nearby Kavala International Airport but never made it. Drone footage showed small fragments were all that remained of the plane, which crashed in fields between two villages and dragged a small distance on the ground.Greek media reported there were eight people on the plane and it was carrying 12 tonnes of ‘dangerous materials’, mostly explosives. Small fires and a plume of white smoke were still rising from the front end of the plane on Sunday morning. Firefighters who rushed to the scene were prevented from reaching the crash site by smoke and an intense smell which they feared might be toxic. Villagers were told to keep their windows shut all night, to not leave their homes and to wear masks. Source