FIREBALL HORROR ON THE RUNWAY
AT least 13 people, includi ng two children, were killed yesterday when a passenger jet exploded in a fireball while making an emergency landing.
Officials blamed the high death toll at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on passengers who delayed the plane’s evacuation by stopping to grab their bags from overhead lockers.
The Russian Sukhoi Superjet100 sent a distress signal soon after take- off before l anding engulfed in f l ames. Footage showed the plane trailing a plume of fire and black smoke hundreds of yards long as it crash-landed on the runway.
An airport source said: ‘ It attempted an emergency landing but did not succeed the first time, and on the second time the landing gear hit, then the nose did, and it caught fire.’
The 5.50pm flight to the Arctic city of Murmansk had 78 passengers and crew on board.
Footage showed passengers escaping down emergency slides from the front of the Aeroflot jet, which was less than two years old. A witness said: ‘It is a miracle anyone survived.’ An official at the airport said: ‘ Many passengers delayed emergency evacuation because, against all instructions, they were picking up hand l uggage f rom the overhead compartments.’
Passenger Mikhail Savchenko posted on Instagram: ‘I managed to jump out. Definitely not everyone managed to escape.’
Reports suggest an electrical fault might have caused the fire.
Witness Vera Kochneva said fire crews took minutes to arrive, adding: ‘ Why did emergency services not get equipment in time knowing the plane is landing on fire?’
There were also reports of ambulances being kept at security barriers for seven minutes.