Forty-one people died when a Russian passenger jet crash-landed in a Moscow airport and burst into flames on the runway.
Dramatic videos showed the moments after Aeroflot flight SU 1492 touched down at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport with smoke and flames shooting out of its rear end. Another video showed the inside of the plane during the fire. Some passengers escaped the burning aircraft using emergency exit slides.
According to the BBC, at least two children were among the dead and 11 people were injured. Airport authorities said the plane turned back owing to a technical reason that remained unspecified. The crew had sent a distress signal after bad weather caused “malfunctions” shortly after take-off.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered a special committee to investigate the disaster. Al Jazeera quoted crash investigation team spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko as saying, “Investigators soon will begin interviewing victims, eyewitnesses, airport staff and the airline carrier, as well as other persons responsible for the operation of the aircraft.”
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