Moscow, Jan 21 (IANS): Taliban on Sunday said that the Russian business jet which crashed in Afghanistan in Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan had seven Russians on board.

Taliban Spokesman Abdul Wahid Rayan said that the crash happened due to the engine failure.

“The plane crashed due to an engine failure. There were seven Russians on board. The aircraft belonged to a Moroccan firm,” Abdul Wahid Rayan wrote on X.

Tolo News reported that the head of local Information and Culture Department Zabihullah Amiri said that a search team has been sent to the area.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency or Rosaviatsiya has said that the aircraft was a Falcon 10 corporate jet and registered with a Russian company.

“The plane was en route from Gaya in India to Moscow’s Zhukovsky Airport, via Uzbek capital Tashkent. The aircraft initially departed from Thailand’s Utapao Airport,” Rosaviatsiya said.

It said that there were four crew members and two passengers on board.

Rosaviatsiya said that the plane was carrying out a medical evacuation from the Thai city of Pattaya of a Russian woman accompanied by her husband, according to the Russian Consulate in Bangkok.

It said that the Falcon 10 is an early business jet from the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. It was produced between 1971 and 1989, but remains popular on the secondary market.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry in New Delhi said that it does not belong to an Indian carrier.

Initial media reports had incorrectly identified the plane as being an Indian passenger aircraft.

“The plane was neither an Indian scheduled nor a charter aircraft,” the Civil Aviation Ministry said.