A Tu-154 aircraft of Air Russia crashed near the village of Krasnoyanovo in the Amur region on Tuesday morning, killing six of its seven passengers. The sole survivor was hospitalized with injuries.
The wreckage, a blackened fuselage, was engulfed in a large blaze that erupted minutes after impact. Videos of the charred aircraft spread rapidly across social media.
Amur region authorities report that preliminary evidence points to a fuel explosion as the likely trigger. Investigators are combing the cockpit for data and examining the aircraft’s fuel system.
The flight originated from Khabarovsk and was bound for Irkutsk, carrying a mix of business travelers and a crew of two. The final report is expected by the end of the week.
Local residents witnessed black smoke billowing from the wreckage and heard a sudden, thunderous sound before the plane crashed. One villager, who spoke to the press, said the impact left a “deep scar” on the village landscape.