Afghan plane crash: not an Indian aircraft, says government clarification
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New Delhi: The Indian government clarified that the plane that crashed in Afghanistan is not an Indian aircraft, refuting earlier reports.
The Civil Aviation Ministry stated, "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."
Russian aviation authorities had initially reported a Russian-registered plane, believed to be an ambulance flight, disappearing from radar screens over Afghanistan. The aircraft was said to be traveling from India to Moscow. Russian aviation authorities later identified the plane as a French-made Dassault Falcon 10 jet, manufactured in 1978, involved in a charter ambulance flight from India via Uzbekistan to Moscow.
The crash occurred in Badakhshan province, bordering China, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. However, the exact location of the accident remains unknown. Zabihullah Amiri, head of the provincial information department, stated, "The plane has crashed, but the location is not known yet. We have sent teams, but they have not arrived yet."
The Hindu Kush mountain range, home to Afghanistan's highest mountain, Mount Noshaq, at 7,492 meters (24,580 feet) high, cuts through the province. No information on casualties has been reported as of now.