RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES say they believe all 11 people on board a Russian cargo plane were killed when the aircraft crashed in a remote eastern part of the country today.
The plane sent a distress signal shortly after take-off, warning that one of its four engines had caught fire. The pilots were attempting to return to the airport in Magadan when contact was lost with the aircraft.
Prosecutors say that the Antonov An-12 plane crashed in a deep forest. Poor visibility due to fog is understood to be hampering efforts to reach the wreckage.
Russia Today reports that a criminal investigation has been opened into the crash over the suspected violation of pre-flight procedures and aviation rules.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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