Russia plane crash kills dozens

A passenger plane has crashed near the central Russian city of Perm, killing all 88 people on board, officials say.

The Boeing-737, belonging to a branch of the national airline Aeroflot, was on a flight from Moscow.

At least 21 foreign passengers were on board. An investigation into the cause of the crash is under way.

Radio contact with the plane was lost as it was landing. The wreckage was later found outside Perm, which is located near the Ural mountains.

"The Boeing-737 carried 82 passengers on board, including seven children, and six crew... All passengers were killed," Aeroflot said in a statement quoted by AFP news agency.

"As the plane was coming in for landing, it lost communication at the height of 1,100 metres and air controllers lost its blip. The airplane was found within Perm's city limits completely destroyed and on fire."

A resident of Perm interviewed by AP television news described hearing an explosion that threw her out of bed.

She said her neighbours saw the plane was on fire when it was "still in the air and it looked like a rocket and crashed near the building".

"The whole sky was lit up like a firework display."

Smouldering wreckage

Russian officials say passengers included nationals from Azerbaijan, Ukraine, France, Switzerland, Latvia, the United States, Germany, Turkey and Italy.

Earlier, crash investigator Vladimir Markin told Russia's Ria-Novosti news agency that the plane "fell into a ravine near the city limits".

Emergency Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said contact with the plane was lost at 0321 Moscow time (2321 GMT).

Television pictures from the site - some 1,200km (750 miles) east of Moscow - showed firefighters walking through smouldering wreckage.

The plane burned on the ground for some two hours before fire crews extinguished the blaze.

There were no casualties on the ground, officials say.

Officials say there is no indication of a terrorist attack.

The plane belonged to Aeroflot-Nord - Aeroflot's regional airline.

A crisis centre had been set up for the victims' relatives, Aeroflot said.