Flight UT579 ftom Moscow has skidded off the runway and caught fire after landing in the Russian city of Sochi, injuring 18 peoplg.
The Boeing 737-800 operated by the Utair airline, was carrying 164 passengers and 6 crew from the Russian Capital of Moscow.
The plane’s undercarriage and a wing were damaged when it left the runway and a left engine then caught fire caused the aircraft to crash land after clipping a perimeter fence and coming to a halt in a riverbed.
Some of the injured suffered burns, others carbon monoxide poisoning, officials said. Three of the injured are children.
A spokesperson at Sochi airport said one airport employee had suffered a fatal heart attack during the rescue operation but the fire is now extinguished.
The jet was attempting to land in strong wind and heavy rain early on Saturday when the incident happened.
The fatal crash of a Russian airliner at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport in February again raised concern about national air safety and this is now the 4th major crash in the nation this year.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation into the incident “on suspicion of inadequate services with a risk to clients’ health”.
