IL-76 crashes in Sakha Republic killing 11

A RUSSIAN IL-76 belonging to the Interior Ministry has crashed near Mirny, in the Sakha Republic region, killing all 11 crew and passengers.The aircraft had just unloaded its cargo at Mirnyi airport and taken off to continue its flight to Irkutsk when reports say it began to deviate off course. It then hit a slagheap at a mine and finally crashed in a deserted area, exploding on impact. The primary course of the crash is not yet known.A spokesperson of the local disaster mitigation agency said: “The plane belonged to the interior ministry and was not carrying any cargo or passengers. The charred bodies of crewmembers and flight recorders have been recovered. There were no destructions and casualties on the ground.”