Moscow (CNN) -- Four people were killed Saturday and more than 43 others were injured, four critically, after a Russian passenger jet caught fire shortly before takeoff, authorities said.
One of the engines aboard the Tu-154M caught fire as the plane taxied toward the runway in Russia's Siberian city of Surgut, the committee said in a statement on its website. The blaze quickly spread throughout the cabin, forcing passengers to evacuate as the aircraft became engulfed in flames.
After the passengers evacuated, the fuel tanks exploded, causing massive devastation to the aircraft, a spokeswoman for the local branch of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said on state television.
Photos on Russian news agency RIA-Novosti's website showed only the tail of the plane recognizable amid a huge plume of black smoke.
The aircraft, which was destined for Moscow, was carrying 135 people -- 117 passengers and 18 crew members, the Russian Health and Social Development Ministry said. Earlier, it was reported that 124 people were on board.
The plane was flown by Kogalymavia Airlines, according to RIA-Novosti.
Authorities have launched a criminal investigation based on charges of violating transport and fire safety rules, the investigative committee said.
CNN's Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report
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Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/01/01/russia.jet.explosion/index.html?eref=edition
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