Russian plane crash kills 40

A passenger plane crashed in heavy fog and burst into flames on a highway in north western Russia, killing 44 people, officials have said.

21 June 2011, 12:00am

1 min read

The Tupolev-134 aircraft, carrying 43 passengers and nine crew, crashed on its final approach to an airport in the city of Petrozavodsk.

The Emergencies Ministry as saying the RusAir plane came down on a highway around a mile short of the runway. It broke apart before bursting into flames.

Eight people, including a 10-year-old boy, are reported to have survived the crash and are in critical condition in hospital in Petrozavodsk.

There is no immediate explanation for the accident but the Interfax news agency quoted airport director Alexei Kuzmitsky as saying there were "unfavourable weather conditions".

This was compounding by the failure of the runway's high-intensity lighting, Alexei Morozov, deputy head of the Interstate Aviation Committee , told the ITAR-Tass news agency.

The jet was travelling from the Russian capital Moscow 400 miles away.

The Emergencies Ministry confirmed the incident on its website and posted a list of 43 passengers.

The Karelia branch of the ministry said radio contact with the pilot was lost at 11:40pm local time.

It happened on the eve of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's planned appearance at the Paris Air Show to support dozens of Russian firms seeking sales contracts.

Russia and the other former Soviet republics have some of the world's worst air traffic safety records, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Experts blame weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality for the poor safety record, leading to emergency landings being reported with alarming regularity.