Russian defence force plane goes missing from radar

Sunday, 25 Dec 2016 13:30:06

A Russian defence force Tu-154 aircraft carrying 91 people has disappeared from radar, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.

The ministry said 83 passengers and eight crew members were on board when the plane took off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

The plane was carrying the famous Alexandrov military band for a concert at the Russian air base in Syria.

The Tu-154 is a Soviet-designed three-engine airliner.

The state-operated RIA Novosti agency quoted a source as saying the plane likely crashed in the mountainous area of the Krasnodar region.

Rescue services in the region have been deployed to search for the missing plane.

More to come.

AustraliaPlus