More information released: "MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A Russian plane flying from Israel to Russia has crashed into the Black Sea with at least 77 people on board, reports say.
The Tu-154 airliner flying from Tel Aviv to Siberia crashed about midday on Thursday into the Black Sea, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying. Reuters reported Ben-Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, as saying the plane, flight 1812, belonged to Siberia Airlines. CNN's Jill Dougherty said Interfax had filed unconfirmed reports that an Armenian plane flying nearby saw the Tu-154 explode before crashing into the water. Vasily Yurchuk, the Russian ministry spokesman, said the plane went down 185 kilometres (114 miles) off the Russian coastal city of Adler, near the Georgian border, The Associated Press reported. The plane was on its way from Tel Aviv to the Siberian city of Novosibirsk on a regular weekly charter flight, Yurchuk added. The Emergency Situations Ministry later updated its figures from 66, to say that there were at least 66 passengers and 11 crew members aboard. Dougherty added that details were "very sketchy" and the cause of the crash was not known. "Nerves are on edge," she added. "Nobody is making any connection with the September 11 attacks, but it is certainly something investigators will be looking at." A Tel Aviv airport official told Reuters: "All the flights have the same security checks." The plane had made a stopover in Burgas, Bulgaria, where it apparently took on more passengers, Vladimir Kofman, an official with the Interstate Aviation Committee, which is in charge of investigating crashes in the former Soviet republics, AP added. Russian President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed of the crash and an investigative team were planning to fly out to the site, presidential press spokesman said, according to the Interfax news agency. Tu-154 planes are known as the "workhorse" of the Russian fleet, Dougherty added. " -Gel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
