On January 20, 2024, a Russian Falcon 10 plane disappeared from radar and was reported to have crashed in Afghanistan the following day. Of six people on the plane, four survived, Izvestiya reports. This marked the first fatal air accident in Afghanistan since 2020.

The Survivors

Among the six people on board, four crew members miraculously survived the crash. One of the survivors, pilot Arkady Grachev, shared the harrowing details of the incident. Grachev said that the crew faced significant challenges landing the plane on a mountain top due to technical problems.

After a grueling day and a half in the cold, they embarked on a five-hour trek through thick snow from an altitude of 4,000 meters to reach a nearby village. The emergency beacon was operational, but the plane’s location remained undetected for a considerable period.

The Aftermath

The local Afghan community displayed remarkable compassion towards the injured Russian pilots. They provided warm meals and care until the survivors could be transported to a hospital. The four survivors were eventually taken to Moscow. However, the couple who were also on board the plane did not survive the crash.

Investigation and Speculations

The crash is currently under investigation, with engine failure being considered as a priority. There have been allegations that a large sum of cash, around $1.2mn, went missing from the aircraft. However, Grachev denied these claims, stating that there was only personal money on the plane.

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