Russia: 16 feared dead as plane carrying parachutists crashes in central region
Seven people were pulled alive from the wreckage, officials said. The remaining sixteen are "without signs of life," a representative of the emergency services told the RIA Novosti news agency.
FollowMoscow: A Russian aircraft L-410 carrying parachutists crashed in central Russia’s Tatarstan region on Sunday, killing at least 16 people and injuring seven, the RIA news agency cited the emergency services as saying.
Seven people were pulled alive from the wreckage, officials said. The remaining sixteen are "without signs of life," a representative of the emergency services told the RIA Novosti news agency.
The L-410 plane carrying 22 people crashed around 9:23 a.m. local time (0623 GMT) during a flight over the republic of Tatarstan, the ministry said on its Telegram channel.
"Six people were rescued, 16 were taken out without signs of life," the ministry said.
Images published by the ministry showed the aircraft broken in half with a severely dented nose.
The six survivors were being hospitalised, the local health ministry told the Interfax news agency.
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Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov was travelling to the scene of the crash, a statement on his website said.
According to Interfax, the plane belonged to the Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy of Russia, which describes itself as a sports and defence organisation, AFP reported.
The head of the organisation's regional branch said the parachuting club that organised the flight was not to blame.
"We are the best, we are among the top five clubs," Ravil Nurmekhametov told TASS news agency, adding that the club had hosted European and World championships.
"Cosmonauts train here," he said.
The aircraft was a Let L-410 Turbolet, a twin-engine short-range transport aircraft. Even as its aviation safety standards have improved over the years, accidents involving ageing planes are common in far-flung regions in Russia.
Earlier last month, an ageing Antonov An-26 transport plane crashed in the Russian far east killing six people. All 28 people on board an Antonov An-26 twin-engine turboprop died in a crash in Kamchatka in July.
(With inputs from agencies)
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