Russian An-12 cargo plane engulfed in flames after crash landing in Siberia

A source close to the regional administration said at least two people had died.

The Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo plane at Ben-Gurion airport, August 3, 2020 (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
The Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo plane at Ben-Gurion airport, August 3, 2020
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

A Russian Antonov An-12 cargo plane carrying seven people crash-landed in Siberia on Wednesday and was engulfed in flames after disappearing from radar just outside the city of Irkutsk, the emergency services ministry said.

The plane crashed near the village of Pivovarikha, about 4,200 km (2,600 miles) east of Moscow, the ministry said.

"Firefighting and search and rescue operations are underway," the ministry said.

A source close to the regional administration said at least two people had died.

The plane is owned by Belarusian company Grodno, the TASS news agency cited Belarusian authorities as saying.

Antonov an-225 (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Antonov an-225 (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Russian aviation safety standards have improved in recent years but accidents, especially involving aging planes in far-flung regions, are not uncommon.