Russian business jet crashes in Afghanistan mountains with seven onboard
A Russian corporate jet, identified as a Falcon 10, has tragically crashed in the mountainous region of Badakhshan Province in northeast Afghanistan, as confirmed by Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsia.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning, and the head of the local Information and Culture Department, Zabihullah Amiri, reported the crash to Tolo news agency.
Rosaviatsia disclosed that the Falcon 10 was en route from Gaya in India to Moscow’s Zhukovsky Airport, with a layover in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Departing initially from Thailand’s Utapao Airport, the aircraft had four crew members and two passengers on board, according to Rosaviatsia.
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The Russian Consulate in Bangkok stated that the plane was engaged in a medical evacuation mission, transporting a Russian woman and her husband from the Thai city of Pattaya.
Abdul Wahid Rayan, the spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, asserted on X (formerly Twitter) that the plane crashed due to an engine problem. He claimed there were “seven Russians abroad,” and the aircraft belonged to a Moroccan firm.
The Falcon 10, a business jet from Dassault Aviation, experienced the tragic incident, sparking a response from local authorities. A search team has been dispatched to the crash site.
It is crucial to note that initial media reports mistakenly identified the plane as an Indian passenger aircraft, leading to clarification from the Civil Aviation Ministry in New Delhi.
The statement on Twitter emphasized that the crashed plane did not belong to an Indian carrier and was neither scheduled nor chartered.
As investigations unfold, the aviation community mourns the loss and awaits further details on the circumstances surrounding the crash.
