29 die, 23 others survive in Russian plane crash
AFP, Moscow
At least 29 people died yesterday after a plane they were in crashed and caught fire as it attempted to land in Russia's Far North, the emergencies ministry told AFP. "According to the information that we have so far, 29 people have died and 23 are alive," a spokesman said by telephone. Two helicopters with rescuers and medical personnel have arrived at the scene of the crash, on the coast of the Barents Sea, he said, and another plane was due to land shortly. The An-24 plane, which was carrying employees of Naryanmarneftegas company, crashed around 1100 GMT near the village of Varandei, in the Nenetsk autonomous region above the polar circle, news agencies reported. The plane took off from Ufa, in Bashkortostan, and made stops in the cities of Perm and Usinsk before heading for Varandei, a town on the coast of the Barents Sea.
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