YEYSK, October 17./TASS/. An Su-34 fighter-bomber crashed in Yeysk in southern Russia after one of its engines burst into flames. The fuel caught fire after the plane crashed, with the fire spreading to a residential building nearby, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Emergency response services are working at the site.
TASS puts together what we know about the emergency for now.
What we know about the causes of the crash
An Su-34 took off from a military airfield of the Southern Military District for a training flight.
As the pilots reported to the ground, an engine caught fire during the takeoff, which was the cause of the crash.
The crew of two ejected, both pilots survived.
Aftermath of the crash
Spilled fuel caught fire at the site of the crash in the courtyard of an apartment building.
The fire spread to a nine-story apartment building, engulfing five floors. According to emergency services, the area of the fire in the building is 2,000 square meters.
According to early reports, 17 apartments were damaged.
Fire brigades and ambulances work at the site. Specialists from a burn unit in Krasnodar have been dispatched to the site, as well as ambulance aircraft.
According to fresh updates, two people were killed and 15 were injured in the crash.
According to local authorities, facilities near the crash site were not damaged.
Tenants have been accommodated at temporary accommodation centers.
According to eyewitnesses, some 20 minutes after the plane crash, a chain of bangs was heard.
Response from the authorities
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an order to provide all necessary aid to all affected by the plane crash. He was briefed on the situation in reports from Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko and Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov, ordering them to fly to Yeysk.
The prosecutor's office launched an investigation into the crash. The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case.