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Cargo Plane Packed with 11 Tons of Military Explosives Down Over Europe, But Something Strange Kept Firefighters Away

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When more than 11 tons of military explosives exploded after a Saturday place crash, fear kept first responders away.

A Soviet-era four-engine turboprop cargo plane, piloted by a Ukrainian crew, was taking 11.5 tons of Serbian-made ordinance to Bangladesh when it came down in northern Greece, according to ABC. Officials said illuminating mortar shells were among the cargo.

Firefighters were initially delayed in their response, as they were confronted by intense smoke and an odor they feared might be toxic.

“I wonder how it didn’t fall on our houses,” witness Aimilia Tsaptanova said, according to Reuters.

“It was full of smoke, it had a noise I can’t describe and went over the mountain. It passed the mountain and turned and crashed into the fields,” she said.

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“There were flames, we were scared. A lot of cars came, but they couldn’t approach because there were continuous explosions,” she said, according to the BBC.

Should there have been greater safety precautions taken to prevent this crash?

Stamatis Kourtesis of Antifilippi said he saw the airplane on fire as it crashed, according to The New York Times.

“My throat was burning and, from the noise, I thought it was a helicopter at first,” he said.

“Then we turned ’round and saw a light, it was the burning aircraft,” he said, adding that there had been a “mushroom of smoke.”

The BBC said that due to concerns about toxic substances, drones were used to survey the site of the crash.

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Greek officials warned residents to stay indoors and keep their windows and doors shut.

A fire brigade official said first responders “felt their lips burning” and said that white dust was floating around the wreckage, Reuters reported.

Local official Philippos Anastasiades said that the substance was found not to be toxic.

However, ABC noted that not all of the ordinance had been examined as of Sunday.

Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said all eight crew members aboard were killed.

“These were illuminating mortar mines and training (mines). … This flight had all necessary permissions in accordance with international regulations,” Stefanovic said.

Shortly before the crash, the pilot had alerted ground crews that there was an engine problem, according to NPR.

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Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com.
Location
New York City
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Foreign Policy, Military & Defense Issues




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