June 20th, 2011
07:16 PM ET

Russian jet crash kills 44, authorities say

[Updated at 9:12 p.m. ET] At least 44 people died as a result of a Russian jetliner's crash onto a highway outside Petrozavodsk in northwestern Russia late Monday, emergency management officials said.

The jet had 43 passengers and a crew of nine when it took off Monday night from Moscow for Petrozavodsk, about 950 kilometers (600 miles) to the north, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said.

Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said survivors, including one child, were taken to hospitals.

Controllers lost contact with the twin-engine Tupolev-134 at about 11:40 p.m. (3:40 p.m. ET), and it crashed onto a highway outside Besovets, near the Petrozavodsk airport, the ministry reported. Andrianova said the jet broke into several pieces and caught fire after the crash, and that nearly 140 rescue workers, doctors and police officers were on the scene.

FULL STORY
Post by: ,
Filed under: Air travel • Russia
soundoff (31 Responses)
  1. Irene

    I just love it when Americans keep talking about Russians drinking vodka, and only drinking vodka all the time. I worked for many international projects involving Russians and trust me, Americans drink that vodka in abundance when it's FREE ot when they are away from home. Should you go to a Russian party you will get tons of great home-cooked food instead of 1-dollar hamburgers, chips and celery sticks, and yes, plenty to drink. Too bad Americans normally can't hold it as good as Russians do. I had an honor of helping to pull a few of my otherwise respectable fellow countrymen out of the snow piles on the streets after a party. But that's oh so typical of Americans – they learn a thing or two about another country, mostly from a couple of moronic movies, and stay with that knowledge for the rest of their lives.

    My deepest condolences to the Russian families who lost their loved ones. RIP, those who perished in this tragedy.

    June 20, 2011 at 8:32 pm | Report abuse |
    • tonyS

      Nice, off-topic pointless rant.

      June 20, 2011 at 8:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • Irene

      No more pointless than moronic jokes over a tragedy.

      June 20, 2011 at 8:40 pm | Report abuse |
    • dia17

      у меня тоже есть много друзей,знакомых американцев и знаю что они пьют дай боже!!меня поражают что даже в такой трагедии начинают стериотипничать

      June 21, 2011 at 6:51 am | Report abuse |
  2. wooben woobies

    You people are all nerds

    June 20, 2011 at 8:37 pm | Report abuse |
  3. @Irene

    I agree totally.

    June 20, 2011 at 9:17 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Anonymous

    Rest in peace to all the ppl who died, yes americans keep those ideas from the movies, no we don't make fun of this notice and i think it is relationed with binladem, i guess terrorists are just making a move forward, or who knows ( it's not a concrete affirmation, just supposing )

    June 20, 2011 at 10:21 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Adam

    America is still butthurt about the child war. The ussr will be back.

    June 21, 2011 at 4:41 am | Report abuse |
1 2
« Back to main