At least three people died and 19 more were injured in a fire that was caused by a fighter jet crash in the town of Yeysk, emergency services have confirmed
Eyewitnesses watch a fire in a residential building after the crash of a supersonic Su-34 fighter-bomber in Yeysk. © Sputnik / RIA News
At least three people were killed in an incident that saw a Su-35 multipurpose fighter jet crash outside a residential building in the Russian southern city of Yeysk, the vice governor of the Krasnodar Krai Anna Minkova has confirmed. Another 19 people have sustained injuries and were taken to a hospital, with four of them in critical condition, officials said earlier. Three children aged from 8 to 10 were also among the injured, the emergency services added.
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the jet’s pilots ejected to safety. The crash was caused by a plane engine malfunction, the ministry added, citing the pilots, who said one of the engines had caught fire almost immediately after the takeoff. The military added that the Su-35 was scheduled to perform a training flight, meaning that the jet was not equipped with ammunition.
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The crash caused a major blaze that damaged at least 17 apartments, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region, where Yeysk is located.
According to the emergency services, the blaze at the scene was brought under control and the aircraft debris were extinguished. Evacuation of residents from nearby apartment buildings was called off, the Krasnodar governor said.
