16 Russian soldiers injured in Siberia plane crash
Three of the wounded said to be in critical condition; harsh weather conditions believed to have downed plane
A plane carrying Russian soldiers crashed in Siberia early Monday, seriously injuring 16, the defense ministry in Moscow said, according to Russian news agencies.
The Ilyushin-18 plane carrying 32 passengers and seven crew members made an emergency landing around 4:45 a.m. Moscow time in the eastern Siberian region of Sakha.
Everyone on the plane survived but 16 people received serious injuries, RIA Novosti agency reported, citing the defense ministry, adding at least 20 of those on board required hospitalization.
Three of the injured are said to be in critical condition, according to a Russian government source quoted by the Russian TASS news agency.
It was not immediately clear whether the plane was owned by the military.
A source in the defense ministry told Interfax that the plane had not given a distress signal and that the flight took place in harsh weather conditions that could have led to icing of the plane.
Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report