Carnage in the snow
71 die as Russian jet crashes two minutes after taking off
ALL 71 people on board a plane died when it crashed moments after taking off.
Six crew and 65 passengers were killed when the jet came down 25 miles south-east of Moscow in Russia.
Among the victims were two children – Evgeny Livanov, 12, and Nadezhda Krasova, five – along with air crew Anastasia Slavinskaya, 29, and second pilot Sergey Gambaryan, 34.
Saratov Airlines Flight 6W703 vanished from radar two minutes after leaving Domodedovo airport for Orsk, near the Kazakhstan border, at 11.22am local time. The Antonov AN-148 reached an altitude of 6,200ft and fell at a rate of 3,300ft a minute before the signal was lost. Investigators said no distress signal was sent by the crew.
The jet blew up as it hit the ground and one witness said: “The explosion was huge. Everything was shaking.”
Snow and sub-zero temperatures were hampering recovery teams last night.
Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said victims will be identified by DNA. Saratov Airlines said there had been no concerns about the jet’s technical condition.