MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's Emergencies Ministry says one of its firefighting planes with a crew of 10 is missing in Siberia.
The ministry said the Il-76 plane disappeared Friday while on a mission to fight forest fires in the Irkutsk region. It said that seven aircraft have been searching for the plane, which went missing in the Bayandayevsky district near Lake Baikal.
Officials said the crew hadn't reported any problems before disappearing.
Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said the search was complicated by heavy smoke from forest fires.
The plane that disappeared is a firefighting version of the Il-76 four-engined heavy transport plane, capable of carrying 42,000 liters (11,000 gallons) of water.
Russian IL-76 plane with 10 on board disappears while putting out forest fire in Siberia
Contact was lost with a Russian IL-76 fighting a blaze near the city of Irkutsk when it was at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,900ft). The emergencies ministry plans to parachute in 100 rescue workers to search for the missing plane and the 10 people on board.
“Contact was lost in the Kachug area of the Irkutsk Region, where smoke from forest fires was extremely thick,” RIA Novosti reports, citing a source within the emergencies ministry.
According to the local administration, the search is being conducted by planes because the territory is too large and inaccessible for a ground search and there are no roads in the area.
“The crew of the aircraft has extensive experience in firefighting, delivering humanitarian aid, and rescue operations,” a source told TASS news agency.
8 aircraft are involved in rescue op, says emergencies ministry press service.
The ministry said the Il-76 plane disappeared Friday while on a mission to fight forest fires in the Irkutsk region. It said that seven aircraft have been searching for the plane, which went missing in the Bayandayevsky district near Lake Baikal.
Officials said the crew hadn't reported any problems before disappearing.
Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said the search was complicated by heavy smoke from forest fires.
The plane that disappeared is a firefighting version of the Il-76 four-engined heavy transport plane, capable of carrying 42,000 liters (11,000 gallons) of water.
Russian IL-76 plane with 10 on board disappears while putting out forest fire in Siberia
Contact was lost with a Russian IL-76 fighting a blaze near the city of Irkutsk when it was at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,900ft). The emergencies ministry plans to parachute in 100 rescue workers to search for the missing plane and the 10 people on board.
“Contact was lost in the Kachug area of the Irkutsk Region, where smoke from forest fires was extremely thick,” RIA Novosti reports, citing a source within the emergencies ministry.
According to the local administration, the search is being conducted by planes because the territory is too large and inaccessible for a ground search and there are no roads in the area.
“The crew of the aircraft has extensive experience in firefighting, delivering humanitarian aid, and rescue operations,” a source told TASS news agency.
8 aircraft are involved in rescue op, says emergencies ministry press service.
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