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A plane crash in Ukraine left 22 dead after a military plane exploded in a ball of flames.
The plane crashed near the city of Kharkiv when landing near a highway.
He was believed to be carrying cadets from the Kharkiv Air Force University and was on a training flight with 27 on board.
A search operation continues throughout the night.
The Antonov An-26 plane crashed while trying to land during a training exercise, Armed Forces General Staff Ruslan Khomchak said in a statement, adding that at least two other people were seriously injured.
A rescue operation continues for other people believed to be trapped in the wreckage.
There are believed to be five crew members on board and another 22 passengers.
(Image: Twitter)
(Image: REUTERS)
Video posted by Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko on Facebook showed the plane burning near a road and smoke rising in the night sky.
Images taken later showed rescuers inspecting the smoldering remains near the city of Chuhuiv.
An investigation into the cause of the accident has been launched.
A pilot reported a failure in the left engine of the twin-engine plane, Oleksiy Kucher, governor of the Kharkiv region, said according to Interfax Ukraine, adding that this would not have been a critical situation for an experienced pilot.
Citing preliminary information, Kucher said that some of the people on board managed to jump out of the plane when it was low.
A witness driving down the road to Chuhuiv told Reuters he saw a burning man getting out of the plane after it crashed.
“Another car pulled up behind us. We grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran with another driver to help him,” said Yaroslav, who only gave his first name.
“Another man came from the plane. He had a cut on his head. We took him to the opposite side (of the road). The one that was on fire, we put it out.”
The aircraft crashed about 2 kilometers from a military airport in the city of Chuhuiv, according to officials from the emergency ministry.
Initial reports claimed that one of the engines suffered a malfunction, although this has not been confirmed by authorities.
Images and footage from the scene appear to show that the plane crashed alongside a main road. with some drivers filming hell from their cars as they passed.
(Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
(Image: National Police of Ukraine / HAN / EPA-EFE / REX / Shutterstock)
A fire broke out at the site and then it was extinguished.
Footage from the scene shows firefighters putting out the flames as debris strewn along the edge of the road and what appears to be a two-lane highway.
Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko told AFP news agency. “It’s a shock.
“At the moment it is impossible to establish the cause.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to travel to the region tomorrow, the BBC reports.
A commission was also being created to investigate what happened.
The president’s office said in a statement: “A state commission is being created to identify all the circumstances and causes of this disaster.
“Search and rescue work continues on the ground.”
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