71 dead as regional jet crashes near Moscow after takeoff
MOSCOW — A Russian passenger plane carrying 71 people crashed near Moscow shortly after taking off from one of the city’s airports Sunday. The country’s transportation minister said there were no survivors.
The Saratov Airlines regional jet disappeared from radar screens a few minutes after departing from Domodedovo Airport en route to Orsk, a city some 1,000 miles southeast of Moscow.
Fragments from the airliner were found about 25 miles from the airport. Footage on state television showed them strewn across a snowy field. No on-theground casualties were reported.
Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said that “judging by everything, no one has survived this crash.” He did not give the number of people on board, but Russian news reports said the plane carried 65 passengers and six crew members.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said all possible causes were being explored.
Russian President Vladimir Putin put off a planned trip to Sochi in order to closely monitor the investigation. Putin was to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Monday in the Black Sea resort area.
Instead, Abbas will meet with Putin in Moscow later Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.
The An-148 airliner was developed by Ukraine’s Antonov company in the early 2000s and manufactured in both Ukraine and Russia. Russian state news agency Tass said the plane that crashed had been flying since 2010, with a two-year break because of a shortage of parts.