The Russian authorities have been on the alert after an Il-76 jet crashed shortly after takeoff with 15 people reportedly on board.
Videos posted on Platform X show the plane on fire with the pilot trying to get away from a residential area.
A Russian military transport aircraft has been sent to Ivanovo (Russia)
Si tratta ✈️ dell'IL-76.
A bordo c'erano 12 persone.
The airport in flames…
Dicono che durante il volo abbia perso un motore ed altro preso fuoco 🔥 #DefendDemocracyAidUkraine #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/aXDFhnLmyu— VADYM 🇺🇦🌐🇮🇹 (@VadymVietrov) March 12, 2024
So far, the fate of the 15 passengers of the aircraft, which was reportedly performing a training flight, remains unknown.
According to Russia's Defense Ministry, there were "eight crew members and seven passengers" on board.
“On March 12 at approximately 13:00 Moscow time an Il-76 military transport plane crashed in the Ivanovo region after taking off for a scheduled flight. There were eight crew members and seven passengers on board. According to the first report from the crash site, the cause of the crash was a fire that caught in one of the engines at the time of take-off," the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
The plane had taken off from Ivanovo airport, near Moscow.
🚨 Breaking: The Russian Defense Ministry reports an Il-76 military aircraft crashed during takeoff in the Ivanovo Region. Onboard were 8 crew members and 7 passengers. Preliminary reports indicate an engine fire during takeoff as the cause of the crash. #Russia pic.twitter.com/cFao2PgXby
- GAROWE ONLINE (@GaroweOnline) March 12, 2024
The crash comes just weeks after an IL-76 jet, which Moscow claimed was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, crashed in a Russian region bordering Ukraine. The Ivanovo region is located more than 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Source: protothema.gr
