• A cargo plane carrying Serbian military equipment crashes in northern Greece.
• All eight people on board were killed, the Serbian Defense Ministry says.
• The Antonov 12 crashed near Eleftheroupoli in the northeastern Kavala region.

A cargo plane crashed in northern Greece on Saturday, killing all eight people on board and raising concerns about the Serbian military equipment on board.

The plane was carrying equipment to Bangladesh, including illuminating mortar shells and training shells, when it crashed near Eleftheroupoli in the northeastern Kavala region, according to Serbian Defense Minister Neboja Stefanovi. He went on to say that all eight members of the crew had been killed.

The aircraft was carrying “dangerous cargo,” according to Greek public broadcaster ERT. The presence of smoke and intense heat, as well as a white substance discovered near the crash site, raised concerns about possible toxicity, according to Marios Apostolidis, a major general in the Greek fire brigade.

Residents living near the crash site were advised not to approach the wreckage and to keep their windows closed. Locals described a devastation scene. “When the plane crashed, it was already on fire. There was a large explosion, similar to that of a mushroom or a nuclear bomb “ERT was told by an unnamed male resident.

“My stomach clenched, when I saw that mushroom,” another resident said.

The Ukrainian cargo airline Meridian’s Antonov 12 crashed shortly before 11 p.m. local time (4 p.m. ET) Saturday, according to ERT.

It was on its way from Serbia to Bangladesh via Jordan when it crashed, according to Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Facebook Sunday. The accident is thought to have been caused by engine failure.

Nikolenko added that all eight crew members were Ukrainian citizens. He stated that the Ukrainian consulate in Thessaloniki had established an operational headquarters, with Ukrainian consular officers assisting local rescue and law enforcement teams at the crash site.

Near Kavala, Greece, debris is seen at the crash site of an Antonov cargo plane owned by a Ukrainian company.

Following the crash, 15 firefighters with seven vehicles responded immediately, followed by additional firefighting forces, including special units with two “special” vehicles for hazardous material collection, according to the ministry, which added that the area of the crash was immediately cordoned off and a security perimeter was established.

According to the Greek Foreign Ministry, there are currently 30 firefighters and “special forces” on the scene, as well as police and other rescue teams.

Before beginning recovery operations, experts are trying to figure out what the white substance is and how toxic the scene is. The flight recorder of the plane has yet to be recovered by authorities.

The Greek foreign ministry expressed “profound sadness” at the news that there were no survivors of the crash.

“Profoundly saddened by the news of the cargo plane crash in northern Greece, near Kavala,” the foreign ministry tweeted. “We express our sincere condolences to the families of the 8 Ukrainian crew members who tragically lost their lives in the plane crash.”

The Greek Army’s land mine clearance units were on the scene, and a “special” chemical defense team was on its way. The electricity was cut off in some areas of the area after the crash, but it has now been restored for the most part, according to the ministry.

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