Sat, Feb 05, 2005
104 Souls On Board, Aircraft Missing In Snow Storm, Search
Called Off
A Kam Air 737 on a flight from Herat in western Afghanistan to
the country's capital, Kabul, is presumed to be missing after
residents of the capital reported hearing a loud explosion during a
snowstorm, about the same time that the aircraft went missing.
The search has been called off due to bad weather, but will
continue as soon as the storm clears.
"Since this morning we have begun a search and rescue operation
in the area," Afghanistan's transport minister Enayatullah Qasemi
told CNN at a news conference. "The last time that we have been
told that the aircraft was seen on radar was about 3.1 miles east
of Kabul."
The president of Kam
Air, Zimarai Kamgar, stated that there were eight crew members on
the aircraft. Six of them were Russians and the other two were
Afghan nationals. There were also 96 pax on board, including seven
foreigners.
Management Sciences for Health, a company in Cambridge (MA) has
confirmed that three women employed by the company were passengers
on the aircraft. A Dutch engineering company has also stated that
one of their employees was also on the flight.
Kam Air opened for business in November 2003 as Afghanistan only
private airline. Its aircraft are leased, and fly routes between
Kabul, Dubai and Istanbul, as well as a number of domestic
routes.
Update: Several sources have confirmed
Afghan and NATO rescue teams resumed their search on Saturday
morning (local time), and have found the wreck of the Kam Air
737-200. Unfortunately, no survivors have been found. There are
unconfirmed reports the pilot's last communication was a
request to land in Pakistan, but Pakistani air traffic control
authorities deny they had any radio contact with the doomed
aircraft. The airport in Kabul is notorious for its difficult
approaches during winter due to high terrain surrounding it,
and a lack of advanced instrument approach technology.
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