(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – A fire swept through an Aeroflot passenger plane as it made an emergency landing at an airport in the Russian capital of Moscow, killing at least 41 people and injuring nearly a dozen others, local officials say.
It began just after 6 p.m. on Sunday when the plane, a Sukhoi Superjet 100, took off from Sheremetyevo Airport. It’s believed to have been hit by lightning a short time later, causing technical problems and forcing a return to the airport.
Footage from a security camera showed the aircraft bouncing on the runway before it came down a second time and burst into flames. When the plane came to a stop, the emergency slides were activated, allowing passengers to evacuate as the fire engulfed much of the plane.
Of the 78 people on board, only 37 survived, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee. Many of those killed are believed to have died in the tail section, which was completely destroyed. (Foreign Media Reports)
