MOSCOW – A 3-year-old girl was the only survivor of a plane crash in far eastern Russia, which killed six people Wednesday, officials said.
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An L-410 twin-engine turboprop crashed while trying to land at a small airport near the village of Nelkan. The aircraft, which belonged to regional carrier Khabarovsk Airlines, was on a regular flight to Nelkan from Khabarovsk, the regional center which is near a border with China.
The Investigative Committee said two crewmembers and four passengers died. The girl survived the crash with non-life threatening injuries, including fractures and a concussion, and will be flown to Khabarovsk for treatment.
Regional governor, Vyacheslav Shport, said the girls’ parents weren’t on the flight, adding that she was heading to visit her grandmother and was accompanied by a teacher.
Russian television stations showed images of the wrecked plane in a forest. Investigators were looking at adverse weather, a crew error or technical malfunctions as possible reasons behind the crash.
The L-410 is a Czech-made short-range aircraft developed in the 1960s. A few regional airlines in Russia use such planes, among other international operators.
