Wednesday, March 16 2005 22:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Moscow: Twenty-nine people were killed and 23 survived after a plane with 52 people aboard crashed and burst into flames as it attempted to land in Russia's Western Siberia region today (Mar 16, 2005).

The Antonov AN-24 plane of the "Regional Airlines" with 46 passengers, mostly oil workers of LukOil, and six member crew crashed and burst into flames around 16:30 IST, five kilometers from the Varandey airfield in Nenets Autonomous District more than 1,000 km north of Moscow while approaching for landing.

Twenty-nine people were killed while 23 survivors of the crash were rushed to local hospital at Varandey, an oil township, ITAR-TASS reported quoting Russian Emergency Ministry officials.

Authorities have rushed a rescue helicopter and a plane with medical workers from the regional capital Arkhangelsk to evacuate the injured.