Russian bomber crashes into apartment building; 4 dead

Associated Press

MOSCOW – A Russian warplane crashed into a residential area in a Russian city on the Sea of ​​Azov on Monday after an engine failure, killing at least four people, three of whom died when they jumped from the upper floors of a nine-story apartment building to escape a massive fire.

A Su-34 bomber crashed in the port city of Yeysk after one of its engines caught fire while taking off on a training mission, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Both crew members were said to have bailed out safely, but the plane crashed into a residential area, causing a fire when tons of fuel exploded on impact.

At least four residents were killed, six were missing and 25 others were injured, including eight people in serious condition, according to authorities.

According to the RIA-Novosti news agency, the region’s Deputy Governor Anna Menkova said three of the four victims died when they jumped from the upper floors of the building in a desperate attempt to escape the flames.

Authorities reserved emergency rooms at local hospitals and encrypted medical planes. At least 17 apartments were affected by the fire, 250 residents were evacuated and temporarily housed.

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the crash and had dispatched Health and Emergencies Ministers to the site along with the local governor. Yeysk, a city of 90,000 people, is home to a large Russian air base.

A few hours after the crash, regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said that emergency services managed to contain the fire, making evacuation of residents of neighboring buildings unnecessary.

Surveillance camera videos released on Russian messaging app channels showed a plane exploding in a huge fireball. Other videos showed an apartment building engulfed in flames and loud bangs from the apparent detonation of the fighter jet’s guns.

The Su-34 is a twin-engine supersonic bomber equipped with sophisticated sensors and weapons and is a key component of the Russian Air Force. The aircraft was widely used during the war in Syria and fighting in Ukraine.