(Xinhua/TBI Africa.com) More than 10 people were injured after an SSJ-100 passenger plane en route to the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk caught fire during an emergency landing at the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, Russian media reported on Sunday.
“According to our data, more than 10 victims needed medical care,” Tass news agency quoted a source in the medical services as saying.
Earlier, the regional emergency services reported six victims.
The plane reportedly took off from the Sheremetyevo Airport at 18:00 local time (1500 GMT) and made an emergency landing after circling over the Moscow region for about 40 minutes.
It was “engulfed in flames” before the emergency landing, Tass quoted a source as saying.
Firefighter and ambulances have arrived at the scene for search and rescue operations.
It was reported that the fire could be caused by lightening strike.
Moscow’s transport prosecution office is investigating the incident and it will check if there were violations of the flight safety legislation, according to Sputnik news agency.
At least 10 of the 73 passengers on board were injured in the incident, local media reported.
According to Russian news agencies, a passenger noticed the fire while the plane was flying to Murmansk and notified the crew of the Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane.
The pilot then returned to the airport north of the capital.
