On Sunday, Russian aviation officials reported that a plane registered in Russia with an estimated six passengers vanished from radar while over Afghanistan the previous night.
This followed reports from local Afghan police of a potential crash in the area. According to the Russian authorities, the missing aircraft was on a chartered ambulance flight, departing from India and passing through Uzbekistan en route to Moscow.
The plane, a Dassault Aviation Falcon 10 jet, was built in 1978 by the French manufacturer.
Afghan police in the northern region received information regarding a plane crash in Badakhshan province. Zabihullah Amiri, a representative for the government of Badakhshan, informed Reuters that a team had been dispatched to the crash site.
However, reaching the location, which lies over 200 km (124 miles) from Fayzabad, the provincial capital, is expected to take around 12 hours due to its remoteness.
The crash reportedly occurred overnight in Badakhshan’s remote and mountainous area, situated in the northernmost part of Afghanistan. The region is known for the Hindu Kush mountain range and includes Mount Noshaq, Afghanistan’s tallest peak, standing at 7,492 meters.
Details about the plane’s model, the crash’s cause, or any casualties are yet to be confirmed. India’s aviation authority clarified that the crashed aircraft was neither a scheduled commercial flight nor an Indian-chartered plane, and further details are awaited.
Dassault, the aircraft’s manufacturer, has not immediately responded to requests for comments outside of standard business hours.
