IRKUTSK, Russia, Oct 23 (Reuters) – A Russian military plane crashed into a residential building in the Siberian city of Irkutsk on Sunday, killing both pilots, authorities said, the second fatal incident of this type in six days involving a Sukhoi fighter jet. .
In a Telegram post, Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said the plane crashed into a two-story house in the city. He posted a video showing firefighters climbing over the wreckage and directing jets of water at the still smoldering wreckage.
No one on the ground was injured, the governor said.
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Officials said the plane was a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet on a test flight. Last Monday, a Sukhoi Su-34 crashed into an apartment block in the southern city of Yeysk, near Ukraine, killing at least 15 people.
Authorities said the initial investigation into that disaster – in which the pilots ejected – pointed to a technical malfunction of the plane.
Videos of Sunday’s incident, shared on social media, showed the plane plummeting almost vertically before crashing into a fireball, sending thick black smoke into the sky. Kobzev said 150 nearby homes were without power and work was underway to restore power.
Russia’s State Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal investigation into violations of aviation safety rules.
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Reporting by Jake Cordell and Mark Trevelyan, editing by William Maclean
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