In a tragic incident, a more than 40-year-old Moroccan-registered Dassault Falcon (DF-10) aircraft crashed in a mountainous area near Zebak district in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Contrary to initial reports suggesting an Indian aircraft, Indian officials have confirmed that the involved plane was not of Indian origin.
The aircraft, operating as an air ambulance, was en route from Utapao airport in Thailand to Moscow, with a refueling stop at Gaya airport. The crash occurred in a remote region approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) northeast of Kabul, in a rural and mountainous area with a sparse population.
The Civil Aviation Ministry clarified that the unfortunate crash involved a Moroccan-registered small aircraft and not an Indian Scheduled or Non-Scheduled/Charter aircraft. “More details are awaited,” the ministry stated in a post on X.
A senior official revealed that the Moroccan-registered DF 10 aircraft, which belonged to Athletic Group LLC and a private individual, had taken off from Gaya airport after refueling at 4:02 pm on Saturday. The aircraft, built in 1978, was on a charter ambulance flight from Gaya to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and then to Zhukovsky International Airport in Moscow.
Quoting Abdul Wahid Rayan, a spokesman for the Taliban’s Information and Culture Ministry, reports suggested that an engine problem led to the crash. Russian civil aviation authorities reported that the plane went missing with four crew members and two passengers. It “stopped communicating and disappeared from radar screens.”
Afghan authorities have dispatched a team to investigate the incident, emphasizing the challenging terrain of the crash site. The tragic event underscores the risks and challenges involved in aviation operations over mountainous regions.
The clarification by Indian officials dispels earlier reports from Afghanistan, including those from Tolo News, claiming the involvement of an Indian passenger plane in the crash. The Afghan television network reported the crash in the mountains of Topkhana, alongside the districts of Kuran-Munjan and Zibak in Badakhshan province.
As investigations into the crash progress, international attention remains focused on the tragic incident, highlighting the complexities and uncertainties of air travel over challenging terrains.