Large cargo plane carrying eight crashes in the mountains near Kabul

Large cargo plane carrying eight crashes in the mountains near Kabul

2010-10-13 00:30:24 GMT+7 (ICT)

(Eds: Updates with official saying 8, not 9 crew members.)

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- A large cargo plane carrying eight people crashed in the mountains near Kabul on early Tuesday evening, officials said. A search-and-rescue operation is underway.

The L-100 Hercules aircraft, which is the civilian equivalent of a military C-130 transport plane, went down at around 7.25 p.m. local time, according to Muhammad Yaqoob Rassuli, President of Kabul International Airport. He said the aircraft crashed about six miles (9 kilometers) northeast of Kabul.

Rassuli said the aircraft took off from Bagram airfield in central Parwan province and was en-route to Kabul International Airport when it crashed in the mountains. He said the plane had delivered supplies from Pakistan for NATO forces in Parwan province.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the plane was not an ISAF aircraft but was unable to confirm if it had been carrying supplies for the alliance. "No confirmation yet," a spokesperson said.

A crew of six Filipino, one Indian and one Kenyan were on board the aircraft. "I don't know [if there are survivors]," Rassuli said. "Rescue teams are in the area."

Earlier this year, on May 17, Pamir Airways Flight 112 crashed on a flight from Kunduz Airport in northern Afghanistan to Kabul International Airport. All 44 passengers and crew members were killed.

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