Six killed as Russian Tu-95 Bomber crashes

A Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons crashed in the eastern Amur region on Tuesday, killing six people, according to Russian state media.

The aircraft crashed near Krasnoyarovo, a few minutes after taking off from the Ukrainka airbase on a training flight. The crash occurred in an uninhabited area near the Chinese border.

According to preliminary information, the aircraft’s fuel tanks exploded after the crash, causing a fire. Russian authorities said the bomber was not carrying ammunition at the time.

A crew member survived the accident but sustained moderate injuries and was taken to hospital.

Russia’s Aerospace Forces have sent a commission to the crash site to determine the cause and circumstances of the accident. Emergency and firefighting teams were also deployed and brought the resulting fire under control.

The Tupolev Tu-95 is a Soviet-era strategic bomber that first flew in 1952 and entered service in 1956. It is capable of carrying and launching nuclear weapons and remains in service with the Russian military.

The crash follows several other fatal aviation accidents in Russia’s remote eastern regions in recent years, including the crash of an An-24 passenger aircraft in July last year that killed all 48 people on board.  Source: Al Jazeera