International Desk
A Passenger Jetliner flying to southern Russia from Dubai crashed on its second landing attempt at Rostov-on-Don airport on Saturday, according to Russian officials reports Reuters. All 62 passengers aboard the jet perished. Returning from Dubai, the FlyDubai Boeing 737-800, attempted to land at 03:50 local time when it missed the runway.
The reason behind the crash is not yet clear, though windy conditions and poor visibility may be factors says further reports from The Guardian online. An adviser to the Russian transport minister, Zhanna Terekohova, said that pilot error might also be a viable factor.
“The aircraft hit the ground and broke into pieces,” said the Investigative Committee of Russia in a statement.
“According to preliminary data, there were 55 passengers aboard and 7 crew members. They all died”
According to a statement made by the Rostov region emergency ministry, the wing of the plane collided with the ground on its attempt to land, causing it to catch fire.
Local media showed footage where a huge fireball was seen originating from the site. It took about an hour for the authorities to get the flames under control, said the emergencies ministry according to reports. Dispatches to the crash site included 500 rescuers and 60 vehicles.
“While we are still awaiting final confirmation, it is with great sadness that we report we believe that there are no survivors,” said FlyDubai on its Facebook page.
“We will do everything we can to help those who have been affected by this accident,” said the Dubai goverment owned carrier.
Among the 55 passengers, there were 44 Russians, 8 Ukrainians, 2 Indians, and one person from Uzbekistan said reports. Governor Golubev made a statement on television saying that there were seven children aboard.