WORLD / Europe

More than 150 killed in Russian plane crash
(Agencies)
Updated: 2006-07-09 10:08

More than 150 were killed as an airplane carrying about 200 people crashed Sunday in the Siberian city of Irkutsk and most on board were feared dead, Interfax quotes police as saying.

The Sibir Airbus A-390 crashed on landing, veering off the runway and bursting into flames, Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said.

Andrianova said 43 people had taken to a hospital as most of the other passengers were feared dead.

The plane carried a crew of eight and 192 passengers, she said.

"The aircraft veered off the runway on landing. It was traveling at a terrific speed," Andrianova said.

The plane hit a concrete barrier, collapsing the front section of the aircraft, she said. It then burst into flames.

The aircraft was on a flight from Moscow to Irkutsk, near Lake Baikal.

It took five emergency services more than two hours to extinguish the flames, Andrianova said.