Thirty one people died and 12 others were heavily injured in a UT Air passenger jet crash on Monday morning in Russia's Tyumen region, in Siberia. Investigators working at the scene say technical failure could be the main reason behind the tragedy. There were reportedly 39 passengers and 4 crew members on the plane. All the people on board carried Russian passports, investigators told Interfax news agency. Most of them were residents of Tyumen.
The twelve survivors evacuated from the crash site are ten men and two women, aged 24-51. Nine of them have been successfully operated on and are now in a grave, but stable condition, according to doctors. Two of the passengers are currently undergoing surgery; one remains in a critical state.
Moscow hospitals are getting ready to receive three survivors for further treatment.
Investigators have compiled a full passenger list, but some bodies will have to undergo DNA identification.
The French-Italian-built ATR-72 heading to Surgut crashed 30 kilometers from its departure point of Tyumen shortly after takeoff. Connection with the plane was lost shortly after the flight got underway. The aircraft is said to have burst into flames and broken into three pieces upon impact.
Russian airline Utair has said that the plane went down as the pilots tried to carry out an emergency landing.
A technical failure is coming to the fore as the investigation continues with icing of the wings seen as a major reason behind the crash. Other possible causes on the table include pilot error and a possible mistake on the part of ground control.
(RT)
