As Taliban spokesman Sabiullah Mujahid announced on the X platform (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, three other missing people had been found in addition to the pilot. Two of the six occupants were dead, a local official reported to the German Press Agency.
On Saturday, the plane crashed in northeast Afghanistan on its way to Moscow. According to initial findings, the reason was an engine problem.
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According to Indian information, the plane was a small rescue plane that was traveling from Thailand towards Russia. The plane had made a refueling stop in the Indian state of Bihar.
According to Moscow, all six people on board were Russians between the ages of 26 and 65. According to media reports, a woman among the passengers was to be flown to Russia for treatment. The Central Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case for violating aviation safety regulations. Two engines are said to have failed due to technical defects. The crew is also said to have reported from radar 25 minutes before the disappearance that they were running out of fuel and that a landing in Tajikistan was necessary.
Big challenge for the rescuers
Local officials said the plane crashed into a mountain in Badakhshan province, which borders Pakistan, Tajikistan and, in the far east, China. A major challenge for the rescuers was not only the difficult journey, but also the stubborn winter in the remote mountains.
Since the Taliban came to power in August 2021, numerous airlines have avoided the airspace over Afghanistan. A company from the United Arab Emirates now monitors air traffic and handles work at the capital’s airport in Kabul. The airlines Flydubai and Air Arabia recently announced that they would be offering flights to Afghanistan again.
