27 Jun 2019 09:28

Two crewmembers killed in An-24 plane accident in Russia's Nizhneangarsk

ULAN-UDE. June 27 (Interfax) - An Antonov An-24 airplane overshot the runway and caught fire while landing in the town of Nizhneangarsk, killing two crewmembers, the press service of the Russian Interior Ministry's branch for Buryatia said on Thursday.

"An An-24 plane on an Ulan Ude-Nizhneangarsk-Irkutsk flight skidded off the runway and caught fire during landing today," it said.

According to Buryatia head Alexei Tsydenov, two people were killed and another 14 were injured during the accident.

"There were 43 passengers, including one infant, on board the plane. All passengers were evacuated. Fourteen passengers sought medical care. They sustained minor and medium-gravity injuries. The preliminary information available indicates that two pilots were killed," Tsydenov told the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

The blaze that broke out after the plane collided with a building has already been extinguished, he said. The plane has been almost completely destroyed by fire.

An ambulance service source, in turn, has confirmed to Interfax that two crewmembers - the plane's pilot in command and flight engineer - were killed in the accident.