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16 killed as light plane carrying skydivers crashes in Russian town of Menzelinsk – reports 16 killed as light plane carrying skydivers crashes in Russian town of Menzelinsk
(about 1 hour later)
A plane carrying more than 20 skydivers crashed near the town of Menzelinsk in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan on Sunday, killing 16 people and injuring seven others, an Emergencies Ministry official has told the media. A plane carrying more than 20 skydivers crashed near the town of Menzelinsk in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan on Sunday, killing 16 people and injuring six others, the local health ministry has said.
The L-410 light aircraft, which belonged to a local aero club, hit the ground immediately after takeoff, witnesses said. Its hull was destroyed by the impact, while the tail part mostly remained intact.The L-410 light aircraft, which belonged to a local aero club, hit the ground immediately after takeoff, witnesses said. Its hull was destroyed by the impact, while the tail part mostly remained intact.
There were 22 people on board the aircraft, most of whom were skydivers, according to the emergency services. “As a result of a crash, 16 people were killed, while six wounded were hospitalized in medical institutions in the republic by ER vehicles and air medical aircraft,” Aleksey Kuznetsov, an aide to Minister of Health, said. The injured were in critical condition, he added.
Preliminary data shows that 16 people, including two pilots, were killed in the crash, while seven others were rescued from the rubble alive, an Emergencies Ministry official has said. The Emergencies Ministry had earlier put the death toll at 15, saying that  seven others had been rescued from the wreckage.
There were 22 people on board the aircraft, 20 of whom were skydivers.
Some previous reports had claimed there were 23 people on the ill-fated plane, but local media reported that a relative of one of the victims had been mistaken for a passenger after arriving at the scene and falling ill before requiring hospitalization.
Investigators working at the scene believe the plane could have crashed due to being overloaded, as the number of passengers on board may have exceeded the aircraft’s capacity, a source with knowledge of the probe told the media. Human error and technical problems are also being considered as possible causes, he added.
The Let L-410 Turbolet is a twin-engine short-range transport aircraft, which has been produced in the Czech Republic since the early 1970s.The Let L-410 Turbolet is a twin-engine short-range transport aircraft, which has been produced in the Czech Republic since the early 1970s.
In September, a similar aircraft crashed in Irkutsk Region in southeastern Siberia. Four people were killed and 12 others were injured in the incident.In September, a similar aircraft crashed in Irkutsk Region in southeastern Siberia. Four people were killed and 12 others were injured in the incident.
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