Backgrounder: Major air crashes in the world since 2003

    Malfunction, human error likely causes Russian plane crash 2006-07-09 17:22:28

    MOSCOW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Technical malfunctions and a human error were among likely causes of the crash of an A-310 airliner at a Siberian airport early Sunday, the Prosecutor General's Office said.

    "But it would be premature to prioritize any of the theories viewed. A more definite answer could be given after the flight recorders have been read," spokesperson for the Prosecutor General's Office Marina Gridneva was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

    The flight data recorders were not damaged and had been taken to the Regional Emergency Situations Commission for analysis. The recordings would be read soon, Gridneva added.

    Foreigners were among passengers aboard crashed Russian plane 2006-07-09 17:17:01

    MOSCOW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Several foreign citizens were among the passengers on board the A-310 airliner that crashed in Irkutsk during landing early Sunday, the Irkutsk airport authorities said.

    "Specialists are now looking through lists of all passengers who were aboard the airbus of the Sibir Air Company. Foreign citizens were aboard the plane, and now we are re-checking their citizenship," a source at a crisis center was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

    The source added that "several people (Wang Tiecheng, Wang Xiaojie, Li Qingli and Wang Lida) were likely to have the Chinese citizenship."

    102 bodies recovered from Russian plane crash 2006-07-09 14:06

Relatives of an Airbus A-310 crash victim, react at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, from where the plane took off Sunday, July 9, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

A relative of a victim of the Airbus A-310 crash cries at the airport of Russia's Siberian city of Irkutsk July 9, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

An injured survivor (R) of the Airbus A-310 left, with her relative, the airport of Russia's Siberian city of Irkutsk July 9, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

    MOSCOW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers have recovered 102 bodies from a Russian plane crash at a Siberian airport early Sunday, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.

    By 9:00 a.m. (0500 GMT), 102 bodies had been found and 54 people taken to hospital, ministry spokeswoman Natalya Lukash said.

Over 150 people were killed in a plane accident in the Siberian city of Irkutsk in Russia early on Sunday, Interfax news agency reported.

    More than 150 killed in Russian air crash, including 8-member crew 2006-07-09 12:08

    MOSCOW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Over 150 people were killed in a plane accident in the Siberian city of Irkutsk in Russia early on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported.

    "A total of 43 people were taken to hospital with burns of various degree, while other people were killed in the crash," a source in the Irkutsk region prosecutor's office was quoted by theInterfax News Agency as saying.

    The source emphasized that the information would be updated.

    According to the Interior Ministry, an A-310 jet of the Russian airline Sibir carrying 192 passenger and eight crew members slid off the runway and hit a building of a service station during landing in Irkutsk airport at 03:00 a.m. Moscow time (2300 GMT Saturday).

    The transport police has confirmed the preliminary information, noting that all eight crew members were killed.

   Over 150 killed in air crash in Russia: report 2006-07-09 11:18

    MOSCOW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Over 150 people were killed in a plane accident in the Siberian city of Irkutsk in Russia early on Sunday, Interfax news agency reported.

    "As a result of the air crash, 43 people were taken to hospital with burns. The rest have died, according to our preliminary information," Interfax quoted a source at the prosecutor's office in Irkutsk as saying.

   At least 2 dead in airliner accident in Russia 2006-07-09 10:25

    MOSCOW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and 42 others injured when a Russian A-310 airliner went off the runway while trying to land and caught fire at Irkutsk in Siberia, said Russian emergencies ministry early Sunday.

   Passenger plane goes off runway, catches fire in Russia 2006-07-09 09:56

    MOSCOW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Some 40 people have been hospitalized after a passenger plane went off the runway while trying to land and caught fire at Irkutsk in Siberia, said Russian emergencies ministry early Sunday.