16 Russian Soldiers seriously injurediIn plane crash

A plane carrying some Russian soldiers has crashed in Siberia this morning, seriously injuring 16, the defense ministry said, quoted by Russian news agencies. The Ilyushin-18 plane carrying 32 passengers and seven crew made an emergency landing around 4:45 a.m Moscow time in the eastern Siberian region of Sakha, RIA Novosti.

Everyone survived but 16 suffered serious injuries, with three in a very serious condition, and were airlifted to the nearest hospital, Sakha’s regional authorities said in a statement.

The passengers were officers from the eastern Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk.

The defense ministry plane was due to land at Tiksi, around 4,300 km northeast of Moscow and beyond the Arctic Circle. The plane was found 30 km from the aerodrome at around 8 a.m.

The preliminary cause of the plane’s emergency landing was “a strong side-wind with gusts,” the authorities said.

The defense ministry said it had sent a specially equipped plane to evacuate those whose condition allowed them to travel to hospitals in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.