On January 21, the Afghan rescue team approached the scene of the Russian plane crash about 250km northeast of Kabul.
According to the British newspaper Guardian, 4 people were found alive in the case of a private plane carrying passengers with medical problems from Thailand to Russia. The Russian plane departed from Thailand on January 20, flew through India and Uzbekistan to return to Russia, when it crashed.
Russian authorities said there were two passengers and four crew members on the plane. The plane was chartered by a wealthy businessman in Russia to transport his wife in critical condition to Moscow. “The Russian businessman was also on the plane and paid all the travel expenses,” Russian authorities said. know.
On January 21, the Afghan rescue team approached the scene of the plane crash in Badakhshanm province, about 250km northeast of Kabul.
“Of the six people on the plane, four are alive,” Russian authorities confirmed, citing information from the Russian embassy in Afghanistan. “These four people were injured to varying degrees. The fate of the remaining two people is being clarified.”
The Taliban government in Afghanistan also issued a statement on January 21, saying the plane and four survivors were found near the Aruz Koh mountains, Badakhshan province.
“The investigation team will continue to search and provide necessary assistance,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman.
Badakhshan province in Afghanistan is an area bordering Tajikistan and Pakistan.
It is unclear whether the wealthy Russian businessman and his wife are among the list of survivors. Some Russian media reported that the plane’s crew was also Russian.
The private plane owned by Russia is a Dassault Aviation 10 model manufactured in 1978. Before the crash, the pilot apparently reported that the plane was running out of fuel and asked to land in Tajikistan.
The pilot also reported one engine stalling and then both engines. 25 minutes after the first emergency call, the plane disappeared from the radar screen.
According to information from the Taliban government, the plane did not travel through Afghan airspace. “The plane’s deviation from the original flight path was probably due to a technical problem,” the Taliban said.
The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation to determine the cause of the plane crash. The plane is owned by a Russian company named Athletic Group LLC. Company representatives have not yet commented.
Since the Taliban took full control of Afghanistan in 2021, international airlines have avoided flying over Afghan airspace.
The accident occurred in a context where the Russian aviation industry was under great pressure because of US and Western sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine. Sanctions make it difficult for Russian aviation to find replacement supplies and equipment for Western-made passenger aircraft models.
