boeder
July 9th, 2006, 11:15 AM
Nearly 150 people, including many children, are feared dead after a Russian airliner crashed in Siberia. The S7 Airlines Airbus was flying from Moscow when it crashed on landing at Irkutsk airport.
The plane reportedly slid off the runway and hit a building at about 0800 on Sunday (2300 GMT Saturday).
About 55 people were injured, Russian officials said. The plane was carrying 192 passengers and eight crew. All the crew were said to have died. Many of the passengers were reported to be children travelling to the nearby popular holiday destination of Lake Baikal.
The A-310 - operated by S7, known until recently as Sibir Airlines - appeared to veer out of control on landing.
It overshot the runway then crashed through a concrete wall, before hitting a building close to the airfield. It then broke up and burst into flames.
The cabin was wrecked and passengers were evacuated via the rear of the aircraft, according to rescuers.
Several passengers were seen jumping from the wreckage. Most of those being treated in hospital were suffering from burns. "It was terrible, really terrible because people were shouting, people were on fire," said crash survivor Margarita Svetlova.
"Someone shouted that it was all going to blow up. So I ran out of fear, I ran out," she told Russia's Channel One Europe TV. The fire took three hours to put out, authorities said.
I think this is really bad, considering how 'safe' aeroplanes are said to be.
The plane reportedly slid off the runway and hit a building at about 0800 on Sunday (2300 GMT Saturday).
About 55 people were injured, Russian officials said. The plane was carrying 192 passengers and eight crew. All the crew were said to have died. Many of the passengers were reported to be children travelling to the nearby popular holiday destination of Lake Baikal.
The A-310 - operated by S7, known until recently as Sibir Airlines - appeared to veer out of control on landing.
It overshot the runway then crashed through a concrete wall, before hitting a building close to the airfield. It then broke up and burst into flames.
The cabin was wrecked and passengers were evacuated via the rear of the aircraft, according to rescuers.
Several passengers were seen jumping from the wreckage. Most of those being treated in hospital were suffering from burns. "It was terrible, really terrible because people were shouting, people were on fire," said crash survivor Margarita Svetlova.
"Someone shouted that it was all going to blow up. So I ran out of fear, I ran out," she told Russia's Channel One Europe TV. The fire took three hours to put out, authorities said.
I think this is really bad, considering how 'safe' aeroplanes are said to be.