BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

14/02/2008

Four injured as plane crashes in Armenia

Minsk (Belarus), Feb 14 : Four people were injured after a passenger plane crashed on takeoff at an airport near the capital of Armenia Yerevan early Thursday, a spokesperson for the civilian aviation authority here said.

The Canadian-built CRJ-100 was bound for Minsk with 18 passengers and three members of the crew on board when it slid off the runway at the Zvarnots Airport, some 10 km west of Yerevan.

The aircraft split into two and caught fire after one of its wings hit the ground at 4.15 a.m.

"All the passengers and crew were rescued from the blazing plane," the spokesperson said.

Most of those injured in the crash had received medical assistance on the spot, he said, adding 16 of the people on board were Armenians. The nationality of the others is yet to be announced.

The aircraft belongs to the Belarusian state-owned airline, Belavia. Experts from the airline are on their way to the crash site along with Belarusian Transport Ministry representatives.

Source:

http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=22238

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