In a tragic incident, a charter plane en route to Moscow crashed in northern Afghanistan, according to Russia’s aviation watchdog. The crash occurred a day prior, and as per the Russian embassy, four individuals have miraculously survived, while the condition of two other passengers remains uncertain.
Taliban provincial officials have reported that the four survivors are now under the custody of Taliban administration officials at the remote, mountainous crash site. Regrettably, two other passengers did not survive the crash.
Zabiullah Mujahid, the top spokesman for the Taliban administration, confirmed that the survivors include the pilot, stating, “The investigative team of the Islamic Emirate continues their efforts to search for and provide assistance to the remaining individuals.”
The Russian-registered charter plane, identified as a 1978 French-made Dassault Aviation (AM.PA) Falcon 10 jet, disappeared from radar screens over Afghanistan, as confirmed by Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia. The flight, originating from Thailand’s Utapao Airport in Pattaya, was on a medical evacuation mission to Moscow, with layovers in India and Uzbekistan.
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Approximately 25 minutes before vanishing from radar, the pilot had issued warnings about low fuel, expressing intentions to land at an airport in Tajikistan. Subsequent communications revealed the failure of both engines, according to reports from the Russian news outlet SHOT.
While details from SHOT are yet to be independently verified, India’s civil aviation authority clarified that the plane was neither a scheduled commercial flight nor an Indian chartered aircraft. The flight, confirmed by the Russian embassy in Bangkok, was a private medical evacuation, transporting a critically ill Russian patient from Pattaya to Moscow.
The passengers, identified as a couple from Volgodonsk in southern Russia, were listed on the manifest published by SHOT. Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case to probe potential safety violations. The plane’s owner, Athletic Group LLC, a small Russian firm, has not responded to inquiries.
The Taliban-run Afghan aviation ministry released a statement noting that the plane’s planned route did not include Afghan airspace, suggesting a deviation possibly due to technical issues. The ministry’s technical team is actively investigating the incident.
Afghanistan police received reports of the crash in the remote, mountainous region of Badakhshan, prompting a dispatched team to the site, located more than 200 km from the provincial capital Fayzabad. The incident raises concerns about air travel safety and the circumstances leading to this tragic event.
Indian Aviation Ministry Issues Statement
The MoCA said on X(formerly Twitter) “The unfortunate plane crash that has just occurred in Afghanistan is neither an Indian Scheduled Aircraft nor a Non Scheduled (NSOP)/Charter aircraft. It is a Moroccan registered small aircraft. More details are awaited.”
The unfortunate plane crash that has just occurred in Afghanistan is neither an Indian Scheduled Aircraft nor a Non Scheduled (NSOP)/Charter aircraft. It is a Moroccan registered small aircraft. More details are awaited.
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) January 21, 2024