- publish: 25 December 2016
- time: 1:52 pm
- category: International
- No: 4712
Russian military plane with 92 people on board crashes enroute to Syria
A Russian military plane with at least 92 people on board has crashed in Black sea shortly after it disappeared from Radar following its takeoff from Sochi.
According to Russia’s ministry of defense, Tu-154 airliner was carrying at least 84 passengers and along with 8 crew members, khaama press reports.
A source in the country’s Emergencies Ministry earlier said “According to preliminary data, a Russian Defense Ministry Tu-154 disappeared from radar screens after departing from Sochi.”
According to Russia Today, nine journalists along with musicians from the army choir of the Russian Armed Forces, the Alexandrov Ensemble, were aboard the plane.
The paper further added that rescue helicopters have discovered debris in the Black Sea from a Russian military transport plane which went off radar en route to Syria.
Most of the passengers on the Tu-154 were members of the famous Alexandrov Ensemble army choir.
The Russian defense ministry has confirmed that the musicians were due to take part in a New Year’s concert at the Russian airbase in Latakia, Syria.
Another source told RIA Novosti that “The plane disappeared from radar approximately 20 minutes after takeoff.”
The source further added that the plane departed at 5:20am local time and failed to check in with the tower at 5:40am.