At least 13 people were killed when a Russian warplane crashed into a residential neighborhood of a Russian city on the Sea of Azov on Monday after experiencing engine trouble. Three of the victims were killed when they jumped from the upper levels of a nine-story apartment building to escape a huge fire.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a Su-34 bomber crashed in the coastal city of Yeysk after one of its engines caught fire as it was taking off for a training mission. Based on the report, both crew members safely ejected from the aircraft, but when it struck a residential neighborhood, tons of fuel detonated, starting a fire.
Authorities reported that 13 people, including three children, had been discovered dead after sifting through the burned-out remains of the structure for hours. Nineteen more people were injured and hospitalized.
A social media video from Monday showed a large flame emerging from the nine-story structure. The ministry of the emergency situation reported that "rescuers have finished excavating the rubble (...) In total, 13 people died, including three children, while 19 people were injured."
As stated by the defense ministry, the Sukhoi Su-34 crew was able to eject before the aircraft crashed. "While climbing to perform a training flight from the military airfield of the southern military district, a Su-34 aircraft crashed." The statement also said that a fire in one of the engines upon takeoff was the cause of the aircraft crash.
One of the pilots can be seen lying on the ground with a parachute behind him in the video that appears to show locals attempting to aid him. Across the Sea of Azov from the damaged city of Mariupol, the port city of Yeysk is located close to the eastern Ukrainian conflict zone. It has served as a significant training facility for Russian naval aviation.
Russian media stated that more than 360 people were taken away from the disaster site, including students from a local secondary school.
The Kremlin has instructed national and local government bodies to offer "all necessary assistance" to the fire victims. The Investigative Committee of Russia declared that it had initiated a criminal investigation and dispatched agents to the location. Later, the Investigative Committee for Serious Crimes in Russia declared it had initiated a criminal investigation into the incident.
According to the statement, "military investigators are establishing the circumstances and causes of the incident."
Since Moscow pushed its soldiers into Ukraine on Feb. 24, there have been 10 documented non-combat crashes involving Russian warplanes. Monday's incident was the latest.
