2 crewmembers die in Siberia after plane skids off runway

In this photo provided by Russian Emergency Situations Ministry for the Republic of Buryatia Press Service, emergency services attend the crash scene of an An-24 plane of Angara Airlines in Nizhneangarsk, Republic of Buryatia, Russia, Thursday, June 27, 2019. Officials said at least two people died and over twenty are injured after a plane skidded off the runway in Nizhneangarsk, Russia’s south east region. (Ministry of Emergency Situations for the Republic of Buryatia press service via AP)

MOSCOW — A small passenger plane skidded off a runway in eastern Siberia on Thursday, killing two crewmembers and injuring dozens of passengers.

The An-24 plane, carrying 43 passengers, experienced an engine failure and crash-landed in the town of Nizhneangarsk Thursday morning, Russia’s top investigation body, the Investigative Committee, said in a statement. The jet crashed into a building and caught fire. Footage from the scene showed the plane lying on its belly with the nose broken off.

Officials said that two crew members survived, while a pilot with 34 years of experience and a flight mechanic died on the spot. The Buryatia governor had previously said both pilots had died.

More than 30 people have been injured, and nine were taken to hospitals with severe burns and other injuries, said Alexei Fishev, spokesman for the local governor.

Investigators launched a probe into the breach of safety procedures onboard An-24, which is a mainstay of the Russian aviation, and said that it was too early to identify the cause of the deadly crash-landing. /kga