Russian Transport Plane Crashes in Syria, 32 People on Board Killed

New Delhi, March 6: A Russian plane, carrying 26 passengers and 6 crew members, crashed while landing near Hmeimim base near the Syrian coastal city of Latakiain on Tuesday. Initial information said

New Delhi, March 6: A Russian plane, carrying 26 passengers and 6 crew members, crashed while landing near Hmeimim base near the Syrian coastal city of Latakiain on Tuesday. Initial information said that the crash may have been caused due to a technical malfunction.

Russia’s Antonov-26 transport plane crashed at about 3 pm (Moscow time) when it was about to land at the Khmeimim Air Base in the coastal city of Latakia, the defence ministry was quoted by TASS as saying.

Russia's Defense Ministry says a Russian cargo plane has crashed in Syria, killing 32 people onboard, reports The Associated Press.

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018

“The reason for the crash according to preliminary information could have been a technical fault,” the ministry said, adding that the plane had not come under fire according to a report from the ground.

The transporter was around 500 metres from the runway, the statement said. An investigation is now underway.

The latest mishap comes after a Sukhoi military jet crashed while trying to take off from Hmeimim in October last year, killing two crew.