By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Several people were killed when a Belarusian-owned cargo plane crash-landed in Siberia after disappearing from radar just outside the Russian city of Irkutsk, officials have said.
Russia’s federal aviation agency Rosaviatsiya said the Antonov An-12 plane, owned by Belarussian company Grodno, circled around after first coming in to land, at which point communication was lost.
“The only thing we can see is that, unfortunately, everyone is dead,” said Igor Kobzev, the regional governor of Irkutsk.
Belarusian authorities said the plane had an experienced crew of three Belarusians, two Russians and two Ukrainians, who had all died, and the plane had not been carrying any cargo.
The Belarusian transport ministry said the plane was completing a go-around in “difficult weather conditions”.
Video footage from the scene showed rescuers battling to put out the flames, illuminated by torchlight in pitch black, snowy conditions. The local branch of the Russian Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case over violation of transport safety rules.
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