Post by mtg on Apr 10, 2010 14:38:33 GMT -5
SMOLENSK, Russia - A plane carrying Polish president Lech Kaczynski has crashed on approach to Smolensk airport in western Russia, a Polish official at the airport told Reuters on Saturday.
The official said there was no information yet about survivors.
A Polish government official told Reuters the plane was carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski.
87 reported dead. Survivors unknown.
UPDATED: Russian news agencies reported at least 87 people died in the crash near Smolensk airport in western Russia, citing the Russian Emergencies Ministry. They reported 132 people were aboard the Tupolev Tu-154.
Polish state news agency PAP said there were no survivors.
The Polish government official in Smolensk said there was no information about survivors. The crash occurred about a mile from Smolensk airport in foggy conditions.
The official said the head of the Polish army and the head of the presidential administration were also on board the plane, along with the president's wife and families of other senior officials.
"The plane caught fire after the crash. Teams began attempting to pull out passengers from the badly damaged airplane," said a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman in Warsaw.
The plane was reportedly heading to an airport in the western city of Smolensk when it crashed.
Mr Kaczynski was due to visit Smolensk to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, when Soviet troops killed thousands of Poles.
The Russian emergencies ministry told Itar-Tass news agency the plane crashed at 1056 Moscow time (0656 GMT).
Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said it had been flying from Moscow to Smolensk, but had no details on the identities of those killed.
The Polish Foreign Ministry said the president and his wife were aboard the plane, according to the Associated Press news agency
UPDATED: Smolensk regional governor Sergei Antufiev told Russian TV that no-one had survived.
"It clipped the tops of the trees, crashed down and broke into pieces. There were no survivors," he was quoted as saying.
"We are clarifying how many people there were in the [Polish] delegation. According to preliminary reports, 85 members of the delegation and the crew."
The Polish Foreign Ministry said the president and his wife were aboard the plane.
Central bank governor Slawomir Skrzypek was also said to have been on board.
The official said there was no information yet about survivors.
A Polish government official told Reuters the plane was carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski.
87 reported dead. Survivors unknown.
UPDATED: Russian news agencies reported at least 87 people died in the crash near Smolensk airport in western Russia, citing the Russian Emergencies Ministry. They reported 132 people were aboard the Tupolev Tu-154.
Polish state news agency PAP said there were no survivors.
The Polish government official in Smolensk said there was no information about survivors. The crash occurred about a mile from Smolensk airport in foggy conditions.
The official said the head of the Polish army and the head of the presidential administration were also on board the plane, along with the president's wife and families of other senior officials.
"The plane caught fire after the crash. Teams began attempting to pull out passengers from the badly damaged airplane," said a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman in Warsaw.
The plane was reportedly heading to an airport in the western city of Smolensk when it crashed.
Mr Kaczynski was due to visit Smolensk to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, when Soviet troops killed thousands of Poles.
The Russian emergencies ministry told Itar-Tass news agency the plane crashed at 1056 Moscow time (0656 GMT).
Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said it had been flying from Moscow to Smolensk, but had no details on the identities of those killed.
The Polish Foreign Ministry said the president and his wife were aboard the plane, according to the Associated Press news agency
UPDATED: Smolensk regional governor Sergei Antufiev told Russian TV that no-one had survived.
"It clipped the tops of the trees, crashed down and broke into pieces. There were no survivors," he was quoted as saying.
"We are clarifying how many people there were in the [Polish] delegation. According to preliminary reports, 85 members of the delegation and the crew."
The Polish Foreign Ministry said the president and his wife were aboard the plane.
Central bank governor Slawomir Skrzypek was also said to have been on board.
