GREECE: RESCUE TEAMS SEARCH FOR CRASHED UKRAINIAN AEROSWEET AIRLNES YAKOVLEV-42 AIRPLANE
Record ID:
383675
GREECE: RESCUE TEAMS SEARCH FOR CRASHED UKRAINIAN AEROSWEET AIRLNES YAKOVLEV-42 AIRPLANE
- Title: GREECE: RESCUE TEAMS SEARCH FOR CRASHED UKRAINIAN AEROSWEET AIRLNES YAKOVLEV-42 AIRPLANE
- Date: 18th December 1997
- Summary: SFENDAMI REGION, GREECE (DECEMBER 18, 1997) (RTV) 1. GV MOUNTAINOUS REGION AROUND SFENDAMI AREA, COVERED IN SNOW AND FOG (2 SHOTS) 0.13 2. SLV/MV/SCU THREE CONTINGENTS OF TROOPS UNLOADED AMIDST SNOWY HILLS AND MARCHING IN DEEP SNOW INTO FOREST AND HILLS TO SEARCH (6 SHOTS) 0.49 3. HAS HELICOPTERS OVERHEAD AMID FOG (2 SHOTS) 0.59 4. LV POLICE CARS COMBING REGION (2 SHOTS) 1.12 5. MV VILLAGER SHOOTING RIFLE IN AIR IN CASE SURVIVOR HEARS HIM 1.18 ATHENS, GREECE: 6. SLV DEFENCE CHIEF OF STAFF ATHANASIOS TSOGANIS AT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH MAP BEHIND HIM 1.21 7. SCU TSOGANIS SAYING, "THE EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT SINCE SO MANY HOURS HAVE PASSED AND WE HAVE FOUND NOTHING POSITIVE, THEN THIS IS SURELY A BAD ACCIDENT WITH LOTS OF VICTIMS." (GREEK) 1.36 8. SCU MAP SHOWING SEARCH REGION 1.45 SFENDAMI REGION 9. SLV SEARCH DOG IN BACK OF EMERGENCY VEHICLE/ VEHICLE AND AND AMBULANCES GEARING UP TO HEAD OUT (4 SHOTS) 2.07 10. SLV AMBULANCES IN HILLS AMONG SNOW / EMERGENCY WORKERS PUTTING CHAINS ON TYRES / LINE OF VEHICLES (2 SHOTS) 2.16 Initials S3 P3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 2nd January 1998 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SFENDAMI REGION, GREECE
- City:
- Country: Greece
- Reuters ID: LVA2BSW5XF3KSCC3WUFVMLVDGJGZ
- Story Text: - INTRO: Greek rescue teams are clawing through rugged mountains covered with snow and low cloud in the search for a missing Ukrainian airliner with at least 70 people aboard.
The Russian-built Yakovlev-42 plane, flown by the Ukrainian-Israeli Aerosweet Airlines, disappeared from radar screens late on Wednesday (December 18) evening as it prepared to land in Salonika airport after a flight from Kiev via Odessa.
Officials said there was growing concern that the plane would not be found before nightfall.
Authorities said they were now focusing their search on a mountainous region some 50 km (30 miles) southwest of Salonika, north of the celebrated Mount Olympus of ancient Greek legend.
More than 1,000 military personnel were involved in the search, aided by locals including farmers on tractors. Villagers in one remote area fired rifles in the air hoping to attract attention from possible survivors.
The airline said the plane was carrying 62 passengers, including 40 Greeks, and eight crew when it disappeared. There were two babies and four children among the passengers, it said.
One Greek construction company, Michaniki, said 23 of its employees had been on board the plane returning for Christmas from building works in Odessa.
In one of a number of conflicting reports, a Ukrainian official said the plane was carrying 33 Greeks, 25 Ukrainians, two Poles, one German and one Russian and the eight-member Ukrainian crew.
Greek media said the plane had been flying at only 3,800 feet when last heard from, far lower than many of the mountains in the region.
Relatives of people aboard the missing plane rushed to Salonika airport to wait for news.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None