No Survivors In Russian Be-200 Firefighting Plane Crash In Turkey - Reports

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2021) There are no survivors in the Russian Be-200 firefighting plane crash in south-eastern Turkey, NTV broadcaster reported on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the country's forestry department said that a Russian-leased Be-200 firefighter aircraft crashed while extinguishing a fire in the vicinity of the city of Kahramanmaras. A rescue team was dispatched to the site. The crew consisted of eight people - six from the Russian team and two from the forestry department, according to the statement. There was no information about survivors.

NTV said that some time after the start of the mission, the communication with the plane, which was deployed in the Mugla province, was lost.

According to preliminary data, the plane was unable to gain the desired altitude after loading water and crashed into the rocks.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that its Be-200 aircraft crashed in Turkey, noting that the accident occurred when the plane was preparing to land after successfully finishing its mission. According to the Russian side, there were five Russian and three Turkish crew members on board. An investigative commission was dispatched to the scene, the ministry said.

The Russian embassy in Ankara told Sputnik it was looking into the causes of the incident and had also sent its team to the crash site.