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Military plane crash-lands in Russia

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A military plane carrying 39 people has crash-landed in Russia’s Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, without leaving any fatalities.

The plane, an Ilyushin IL-18, was carrying 32 officers and seven crew members when it crash-landed under yet-unknown circumstances some 27 kilometers from the settlement of Tiksi on Monday.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced in a statement later that everyone on board the plane had survived the incident.

“As a result of the incident, all passengers and crew members are alive. Sixteen people were severely wounded. They have been evacuated to the hospitals in Tiksi by search and rescue helicopters,” the ministry statement read.

Media had already reported that the plane was wrecked into pieces but did not explode.

Three of those injured are said to be in critical condition.

“According to the report from the scene, the plane crash-landed today at 4:45 [local time, (01:45 GMT)] 30 kilometers from Tiksi Airport. The aircraft was carrying out a scheduled flight from Kansk Airfield,” the ministry statement further read.

Sakha authorities said the preliminary cause of the plane’s emergency landing was “a strong sidewind with gusts.” The Russian Defense Ministry has dispatched a team to Yakutia to gather further details about the incident, according to the statement.

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