All the eight crewmembers of an ill-fated Russian passenger jet that burned out at Surgut airport in Siberia on Saturday, killing three and injuring over 40 passengers, suffered in the accident, Kogalymavia, the airline that owns the plane, said on Sunday.
The Moscow-bound Tupolev Tu-154 passenger jet was engulfed in flames after one of its engines caught fire as the plane taxied down a runway and then exploded on Saturday afternoon in the Siberian city of Surgut. Most of the passengers and the crew were evacuated before the explosion.
There were 116 people aboard the plane, including nine children, eight crewmembers and ten specialists of Kogalymavia, the airline said, adding that the crewmembers had received burns and suffered from toxic poisoning.
Kogalymavia has already pledged to pay compensations to passengers of its plane that burned out at Surgut airport.
"The Kogalymavia airline is providing help to passengers of the flight and is ready to pay compensations for health damage and luggage [lost as a result of the accident] in line with current laws," the company earlier said in a statement.
Transport Minister Igor Levitin said on Saturday that the plane crew and airport officials had done their best to evacuate the passengers as soon as possible, however eyewitnesses said fire exits had been closed for a long time and the passengers had to jump out of the plane through flames.
MOSCOW, January 2 (RIA Novosti)
