Plane crash kills six in southern Russia
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At least six people died when an Antonov-148 airliner crashed during a test flight in southern Russia on Saturday,local media reported.
The plane crashed in the village of Garbuzovo in Russia's Belgorod region, about 600 kilometers south of Moscow, but caused no casualties or damage on the ground, said Emergency Situations Ministry spokesperson Darya Korovina.
Six people onboard, including two pilots from Myanmar, were killed, the state-run Itar-Tass news agency reported.
Interfax news agency cited a source saying that a total of seven people, including five crewmembers and two Myanmar pilots, were on board.
A witness told local media that the plane fell into the vegetable gardens of the village and disintegrated into numerous pieces.
The Interfax-AVN military news agency said the Myanmar air force has ordered two An-148s. It was not immediately known if the plane that crashed was to be delivered to the country.
An official at the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviation) noted that the plane belonged to the Voronezh aircraft plant.
"It was a test flight. The liner did not belong to any airline," the agency representative said.
Investigators have been sent to look into the crash, the Russian Investigative Committee said. Meanwhile, a law enforcement source told Interfax that the accident may have been caused by a mechanical failure.
The An-148 is a regional high-wing jet with a maximum range of about 5,000 kilometers and passenger capacity of 99.
State airline Rossiya last year criticized the An-148, citing problems with door locks, engine and auxiliary power unit (APU) failures.
