122 dead in Russia jet crash

A Russian passenger plane skidded off a rain-slicked Siberian runway early Sunday and plowed through a concrete barrier...

A Russian passenger plane skidded off a rain-slicked Siberian runway early Sunday and plowed through a concrete barrier, bursting into flames. At least 122 people were killed and 68 hospitalised, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.

The Airbus A-310 belonging Russian airline S7 was carrying 201 people on a flight from Moscow to Irkutsk. Airline spokesman Konstantin Koshman said there were 193 passengers8212;including 14 children under the age of 128212;and eight crew.

Many of the children were headed to nearby Lake Baikal on vacation, according to Russian news reports.

The plane veered off the runway on landing and tore through a 2-meter-high concrete barrier. It then crashed into a compound of one-story garages, stopping a short distance from some houses; it was not immediately clear whether anyone was in the garages when the plane slammed into them about 7:50 am.

A witness said he heard a concussion and the ground trembled. 8216;8216;I saw smoke coming from the aircraft. People were already walking out who were charred, injured, burnt,8217;8217; Mikhail Yegeryov told NTV television.

Transport Minister Igor Levitin blamed the wet runway. 8216;8216;The aircraft veered off the runway. There was rain, the landing strip was wet. So we8217;ll have to check the clutch and the technical condition of the aircraft,8217;8217; he told Russian state television.

The Prosecutor-General8217;s Office said that investigators considered a technical fault or human error as the two most likely versions of the crash, Russian news agencies reported. Koshman, the airline spokesman, said the plane had been regularly maintained at met all certifications.

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It took firefighters more than two hours to put out the fire, Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman said. There were two explosions caused by the fuel in the plane, Moscow radio reported.

President Vladimir Putin conveyed his condolences to friends and family of the victims and declared on Monday a national day of mourning.

Details began to emerge of the chaotic aftermath of the crash. One air stewardess, Viktoria Zilberstein, opened the emergency hatch in the rear of the aircraft and let a number of passengers out, said the Emergency Ministry8217;s regional branch.

Ten passengers managed to escape this way and other survivors, including a pilot, were rescued by firefighters and rescuers from the burning wreckage, ITAR-Tass reported.

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Levitin said the aircraft8217;s two black boxes had been recovered and were being deciphered. He added that the pilot had radioed ground control to say the aircraft had landed safely and then communication cut off.

8211;HENRY MEYER