Nine Feared Dead After Belarusian Cargo Plane Crashes In Siberia

A Belarusian cargo plane has crashed in southeastern Siberia, and it is feared that all nine people on board were killed, officials said.

The Antonov An-12 aircraft, owned by the Belarusian company Hrodno, crashed and caught fire near Irkutsk on November 3.

Russian news reports said the plane disappeared from radar after trying to make an approach for a second landing following a failed first attempt.

Previous reports quoted local officials as saying that seven people were aboard the aircraft.

Andrei Ryabovolov, the deputy chief of the Emergency Ministry’s directorate in the Irkutsk region, said that six bodies were found at the crash site, while rescue teams were looking for the rest.

Ryabovolov said that there were four Russian citizens, three Belarusian nationals, and two Ukrainians aboard the plane.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

The Russian Investigative Committee, the country’s top state investigative agency, said it had opened a criminal case over violation of transport safety rules.

Based on reporting by TASS, Reuters, and AP