Death toll in Russian plane crash rises to 120

Moscow, July 9 (UNI) At least 120 people, including eight crew members, were today killed and 53 others injured when Airbus A-310 crashed and exploded into flames after landing in Siberian city of Irkutsk, about 5,000 km from here.

Spokesman for the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry Yevgeny Serebrennikov said 53 passengers, including six children were injured, adding 27 others were reported missing.

Eleven people made their own way out of the burning aircraft that crashed in the runway, he added.

Mr Serebrennkov told Russian Channel One TV station that many of those killed included children who were going to popular tourist destination Lake Baikal during the summer holidays.

The ill-fated aircraft belonged to Sibir airlines. An official statement issued by the Sibir said 220 people were on board the airliner.

With prosecutors investigating a technical fault and human error as the possible causes of the tragedy, Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin told the Russian state TV channel Rossiya, ''The plane landed and the crew told the controller that the landing was over.'' Mr Levitin said rain had affected the runway and the plane overshot it before hitting the airport fence.

However, emergency services and prosecutors have not ruled out other reasons, including terrorist acts.

''According to one of the versions, a fire broke out inside the airbus when the plane landed,'' a representative of the Emergency Situations Ministry told RIA Novosti news agency, adding the landing gear might have caught fire during landing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to the bereaved families and pledged to make all the necessary assistance available.

The plane's flight recorders have been recovered and will be sent to Moscow for analysis.

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