MOSCOW, April 1 (Xinhua) -- A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed in Crimea, killing 30 people, and the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case over the incident on Wednesday.
There were seven crew members and 23 passengers on board, the Committee said in an update.
Military investigators, forensic experts, and personnel from the Russian Emergencies Ministry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are currently conducting search and recovery operations in a mountainous, forested area in the Bakhchysarai district of Crimea.
The Russian Defense Ministry said late Tuesday that the An-26 had lost contact during a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula. The ministry said earlier that six crew members and 23 passengers were killed in the crash.
Earlier reports said that search and rescue teams had located the crash site. No hostile fire was directed at the aircraft. Preliminary investigations suggest the crash was caused by a technical malfunction.
All circumstances related to the incident are under investigation. ■
