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At least four people were killed when a Russian warplane crashed in a residential area in the Azov Sea Yeysk port due to an engine failure, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Su-34 bomber crashed after one of its engines caught fire while taking off for a training mission.
Both crew members escaped safely, but the fuel exploded on impact, setting off a fireball, it said.
Hours after the crash, regional governor Vinyamin Kondratiev said emergency services had managed to bring the fire under control.
The blaze engulfed several floors of a nine-storey apartment building, and at least 17 apartments were affected, local authorities said.
In addition to the dead, 25 people were injured, 8 of them critically, and 6 were missing, officials said. Authorities reserved emergency rooms at local hospitals and scrambled medical planes.
About 100 residents were evacuated.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed of the crash and ordered his health and emergencies ministers and local governors to the scene.
Yeysk is a city of about 90,000 people and home to a large Russian air base.
The Su-34 is a supersonic twin-engine bomber equipped with sophisticated sensors and weapons.
It has been a key strike component of the Russian Air Force.
The aircraft has been used extensively in the wars in Syria and Ukraine.
Monday’s accident marked the 10th reported non-combat crash of a Russian warplane since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.
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