71 reportedly feared dead as Russian passenger plane crashes outside Moscow

A Russian passenger plane crashed on Sunday, February 11, leaving over 71 people on board dead

The plane crashed after taking off from Domodedovo airport in Moscow

There were 65 passengers and 6 crew members on board the aircraft

A Russian passenger plane with 71 people on board crashed outside Moscow on Sunday, February 11 after taking off from the capital’s Domodedovo airport, AFP reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that the Antonov An-148 plane operated by the domestic Saratov Airlines was flying to Orsk, a city in the Urals, and crashed in the Ramensky district on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian news agencies reported 65 passengers and 6 crew were on board and all were feared dead.

It was learnt that witnesses in the village of Argunovo saw a burning plane falling from the sky.

Reacting to the crash, a source from Russia’s emergency services told Interfax that the 71 people on board “had no chance” of survival.

The country’s president Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to the families of those on board.

Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov said: “The president offers his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash.”

It was reported that the Russian-made plane was 7 years-old and bought by Saratov Airlines from another Russian airline a year ago.

According to a source at Domodedovo, Moscow’s second largest airport, the plane disappeared from radars within two minutes of take off.

Over 150 rescue workers were deployed to the site.