1 Nov 2009

Russian cargo jet crash kills 11

9:55 pm on 1 November 2009

A Russian cargo plane has crashed in the far-eastern Yakutia region, killing all 11 crew members on board.

The government plane had just unloaded its cargo at Mirnyi airport. It took off and crashed 25km away, Russian state media reports.

The Ilyushin came down in a deserted area and there were no casualties on the ground, local officials say.

A special commission of the Russian Interior Ministry has left Moscow to investigate the cause of the accident.