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Death toll from Russia plane crash rises to 13 as search ends
The death toll from a military plane crash in Russia's southern city of Yeysk rose to 13, including three children, authorities said on Tuesday (Oct 18) as the search for survivors ended.
The Emergency Ministry said in a statement that the rescuers found ten more bodies while clearing the rubble.
"Rescuers have finished excavating the rubble (...) In total, 13 people died, including three children, while 19 people were injured," according to the ministry of emergency situations, quoted by Russian agencies following Monday's crash.
According to the ministry, 68 people were saved and 360 others were evacuated during the rescue operation.
It said that the emergency services continue relief efforts at the scene of the crash.
On Monday (Oct 17), the Russian Defense Ministry said a Su-34 military plane crashed while it was climbing to perform a training flight from the military airfield of the Southern Military District.
The ministry added, the pilots successfully ejected and reported the ignition of one of the engines during takeoff as the cause of the accident.
The crash caused a fire in a residential area in Yeysk, and a nine-story apartment building caught fire from leaked plane fuel and collapsed.
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President Vladimir Putin instructed top officials to travel to the accident site to personally control the situation and address the problems.
It is worthy to note that the Russian Investigative Committee launched a criminal case following the incident.
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