OLD NEWS

At least four people have died after a Su-34 multipurpose fighter jet crashed outside of a residential building in the southern Russian city of Yeysk on Monday, emergency services have confirmed.

Another 25 have sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital, they added.

• Three children between the ages of eight and ten were among the injured, officials announced earlier.
• Six other people remain missing.
• The deputy governor of the Krasnodar Region Anna Minkova told Gazeta.ru that at least three of the victims died as a result of falling from the top floors of the building.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the jet’s pilots had ejected to safety.

The crash was caused by a plane engine malfunction, the ministry added, citing the pilots, who said one of the engines had caught fire almost immediately after takeoff.

• The military added that the Su-34 was scheduled to perform a training flight, meaning that the jet was not equipped with ammunition.

The crash caused a major blaze that damaged at least 17 apartments, according to the governor of Krasnodar Region, where Yeysk is located.

According to emergency services, the blaze at the scene was brought under control and the aircraft debris was extinguished.

An evacuation of residents from nearby apartment buildings was also called off, the Krasnodar governor said.

Source: RT

UPDATE:

• On October 17, a military aircraft crashed near an apartment building in the Russian city of Yeysk. Russian Ministry of Defence reported that the Su-34 multipurpose fighter jet crashed soon after taking off from a local airfield for a training flight.
• According to the report from the ejected pilots, the crash was caused by a combustion of one of the engines at take-off.

A multi-story apartment building engulfed in flames as a result of the incident. The fire area is about 2000 square meters.

So far, the death of at least one person was confirmed.

Three people were hospitalized.

• The total number of casualties from the incident remains unknown.

It is reported that the plane did not have missiles, but there were shells for the air cannon that detonated.

This report is confirmed by the videos from the spot.

• The videos show that the engine caught fire at low altitude, which is why there was probably no chance to take the aircraft away from the residential area.

Judging by the photos, the pilots ejected right before the crash.

Russian Su-34 can fly with one engine running, so rather both engines were affected, or the fire in one of them significantly damaged the aircraft, making further flight impossible.

• An aid station has been installed at the crash site — residents will be provided with all necessary support, the head of the district said. The authorities report that social facilities near the high-rise building were not affected.

Vladimir Putin instructed to provide all necessary assistance to the victims of the incident.

He instructed the Governor of the Krasnodar Territory, the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Minister of Health to fly to the city to provide assistance.

Source: SOUTHFRONT