Firefighters work at the scene after a fighter jet crashed into a residential area in Yeysk, Russia, Monday, October 17, 2022.
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Firefighters work at the scene after a fighter jet crashed into a residential area in Yeysk, Russia, Monday, October 17, 2022.
AP
MOSCOW – On Monday, a Russian fighter jet crashed into a residential area in a Russian city on the Sea of Azov after engine failure, killing at least 13 people, including three. when jumping from the top floor of a 9-story apartment building to escape a large fire.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that a Su-34 bomber crashed in the port city of Yeysk after one of its engines caught fire during takeoff on a training mission. It said both crew members got out safely, but the plane crashed into a residential area, causing a fire as tons of fuel exploded on impact.
After hours of combing through the burning debris of the building, authorities said 13 residents, including three children, were found dead. Another 19 people were hospitalized with injuries.
According to the RIA-Novosti news agency, the deputy governor of the region, Anna Menkova, said that three of the four victims died jumping from the upper floors of the building in a desperate attempt to escape the flames, according to the RIA news agency. – Novosti.
Authorities booked emergency rooms at local hospitals and scrambled for medical planes. More than 500 residents were evacuated and provided with temporary accommodation.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the accident and had sent health and emergencies ministers along with the local governor to the scene. Yeysk, a city of 90,000 people, is home to a major Russian airbase.
Surveillance video posted on Russian messaging app channels shows a plane exploding in a giant fireball. Other videos show an apartment building engulfed by flames and a loud bang from a fighter jet’s weapon explosion.
The Su-34 is a supersonic twin-engine bomber equipped with sophisticated sensors and weapons that is a key strike element of the Russian air force. The aircraft was widely used in the war in Syria and the war in Ukraine.
Monday’s crash marks the 10th Russian fighter jet crash reported since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24. Military experts note that due to the number of flights Russia’s military increased dramatically during the fighting, so accidents also occurred.
