Forty-one people have died after a fire broke out on a Russian passenger plane after it made an emergency landing at a Moscow airport yesterday.
Officials said a criminal investigation had been launched into the incident, which saw an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet aircraft catch fire after it landed at Sheremetyevo International Airport in the north of the capital.
Russian state TV showed footage of the plane with black smoke rising above its tail, and video posted on social media showed much of the rear engulfed by flame as it sped down the runway.
Sukhoi Superjet 100 Moscow-Murmansk caught fire in Sheremtyevo https://t.co/dnTC69wgJ6 #Russia pic.twitter.com/A5G3lPtpRE
— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) May 5, 2019
Aeroflot said the plane - which Russian Interfax news agency said had 73 passengers and five crew on board - was forced to turn back after taking off from Sheremetyevo, blaming "technical reasons".
The victims included one member of the crew and at least two teenagers, according to Russia's investigative committee.
