Plane Crash in Russia Leaves 44 Dead, 8 Injured

The wreckage of a Russian Tupolev-134 airplane after it crashed near the airport of Petrozavodsk, Karelia province, Russia, 21 June 2011. Photo by EPA/BGNES

44 people died when a Tu-134 passenger plane crash-landed Monday around midnight near Petrozavodsk in north-western Russia.

Another 8 survivors have been hospitalized with serious injuries, DPA reported early Tuesday.

The Tu-134 airliner, carrying 43 passengers and 9 crew members on board, was forced to make a crash landing on a highway two kilometres away from the runway at Petrozavodsk.

The plane's fuselage cracked on impact and burst into flames.

The real cause of the air catastrophe has not yet been determined, with several scenarios under investigation, including pilot error, mechanical fault and heavy fog.

A criminal case and investigation into the catastrophe have been opened over a potential breach of air traffic rules.

According to media reports, the black box recorders have now been recovered.

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