Russia opens probe into plane crash that killed 122

IRKUTSK, Russia, July 10 (Reuters) Russian investigators begin piecing together the last moments of Sibir airlines flight 778 today and passengers' relatives will learn if their loved ones were among at least 122 people who died.

The Russian Airbus A-310, on a domestic flight from Moscow, failed to stop when it touched down in the Siberian city of Irkutsk yesterday and veered off the runway, crashing into a building and bursting into flames.

Investigators hope the plane's ''black box'' flight recorders, which were flown to Moscow late on Sunday, will yield vital information about what caused the crash that killed more than half of the 204 people on board.

At least 55 people remained in hospital late on Sunday, being treated for burns, trauma and the effects of smoke inhalation. The fate of 12 passengers was unknown.

Many of those on board were children, including 14 pre-teen children, flying for holidays on Lake Baikal, a popular Siberian spot in summer, media reported.

''It was awful. I saw people burning, they were burning,'' Margarita Svetlova, who survived the crash, told Russia's First Channel television.

''I probably lost consciousness for a minute ... I unfastened my seat belt. I ran and started shouting and swearing, looking for an exit ... The inflatable escape chute wouldn't inflate, but I jumped all the same. I was lucky, I just hurt my leg a bit.'' Sibir airlines published a list of 193 passengers at an emergency Web site, www.bort778.info, but a spokeswoman for Russia's Emergencies Ministry said there were three more passengers who were not on Sibir's official list.

The Ministry plans to reveal the names of the known victims at 0400 Moscow time (0530 hrs ist), while the airline has offered to fly grieving relatives to Irkutsk on Monday.

President Vladimir Putin declared today a day of mourning.

REUTERS PDS RAI0458