Russia: Military transport crashed with 15 people on board

Russia
Engine fire: military plane crashes with 15 people on board

An Ilyushin Il-76 plane crashed near Moscow

© Georg Hochmuth / Picture Alliance

A military transport plane crashed at an airfield near the Russian capital. There were 15 people on board. The Il-76 aircraft had an accident during take-off due to an engine fire.

In According to the Moscow Defense Ministry, Russia has again crashed an Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft – this time in the Ivanovo region. There were 15 people on board the plane, including eight crew members and seven passengers, the ministry told the Russian agency Interfax on Tuesday in Moscow. There was a huge explosion when it hit the ground. Authorities reported in the afternoon that the occupants, including pilots from Orenburg, had died. There was no information on the exact number of deaths. During takeoff, one of the four engines caught fire.

A reason for the fire’s outbreak was not initially given; authorities said a technical cause was suspected. Experts traveled to the crash site to investigate the cause.

Military plane crashed over Russia

The last time an Il-76 crashed was in January over the Russian border region of Belgorod. According to Russian information, the plane was shot down by a missile from the Ukrainian side. According to Moscow, 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war were on the plane being transported for exchange and were killed. Ukraine has not yet confirmed that the prisoners were actually on board. Russia had agreed to hand over the bodies. According to information from Kiev and Moscow, both sides are negotiating over the prisoners listed on a list.

The military transport aircraft is used to transport troops, goods and military technology. In addition to the seven-person crew, it can transport up to 126 paratroopers with full equipment and a maximum of 48 tons of cargo.

Note: This article has been updated.

Nik
AFP

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