Russian warplane crashes into apartment building, killing 13 people

At least 13 people were killed on Monday after a Russian warplane crashed into a nine-storey building in a residential area in the port city of Yeysk on the Sea of Azov after suffering engine failure.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Su-34 bomber came down after one of its engines caught fire during takeoff for a training mission.

The statement said three of those who died were killed when they jumped from upper floors of the apartment building to escape the massive blaze that engulfed the apartment following the blast.

“After hours of combing through the charred debris of the building, 13 residents, including three children, were found dead. Another 19 were hospitalized with injuries,” the Ministry statement said.

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Vice governor of the region, Anna Menkova, said authorities reserved emergency rooms at local hospitals and scrambled medical aircraft while over 500 residents were evacuated and provided with temporary accommodations.

The Kremlin in a statement, said President Vladimir Putin was informed about the crash and he ordered the Ministers of Health and Emergencies along with the local governor to the site.

The Su-34 is a supersonic twin-engine bomber equipped with sophisticated sensors and weapons that has been a key strike component of the Russian air force which has been widely used in the current war against Ukraine.

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