PM Modi expresses grief over Russian military plane crash

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his condolences over the loss of lives in Russian military plane crash.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Russian military plane crash. The Russian military aircraft, with 91 persons on board, went off the radar and crashed over the black sea.

News agency ANI quoted AFP as saying that there was 'no sign of survivors'.

"Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defence ministry were found 1.5 kilometres from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70 metres," the Russian defence ministry reportedly said.

The plane had disappeared from the radar screens shortly after taking off at 5:40 AM (0810 IST) from the southern city of Adler, south of the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. It was conducting a routine flight to Russia's Hmeimim airbase outside the coastal Syrian city of Latakia, the ministry said.

The ministry said the plane was carrying Russian servicemen as well as members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the army's official musical group, who were headed to Syria to participate in New Year celebrations at the base. There were nine members of the media on board, the ministry said.

OneIndia News